Belonging to Sesshomaru ON HIATUS
by shadowglove
Summary: REPOST DUE TO DELETION. When the well sends Kagome further back in time to a younger Sesshomaru, his scent all over her misleads him into believing that she is "his bitch" from the future-and no matter WHAT Kagome says he won't believe otherwise! Beware a Possessive Sesshomaru!
1. Too Far Back

**RE-UPLOADED DUE TO DELETION. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME GET A COPY OF IT.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

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><p><em>I can't believe Inuyasha hasn't come to get me yet.<em> Kagome thought with a snort as she trudged towards the well house. Usually by the end of her first day in her own time Inuyasha would lose his patience, or just grow bored, and come over to her time to make sure she was 'really doing your stupid tests' and not 'going out with Hobo'.

Shaking her head with a smile, Kagome opened the door to the well house that had once terrified her so, and sauntered over to the well, jumping up onto the mouth with practiced ease.

Five years had passed since she'd fallen into the well, freed Inuyasha, and began searching for the shards. Now at nineteen she was far from the girl she'd once been. Her hair was longer, silkier, and her body a roadway of firm curves. Her eyes a tranquil blue, and one might have said that she resembled Kikyou more now, but with her constant smile and cheery disposition, no one could ever confuse Kagome for her gloomy ancestor.

Surprisingly enough thanks to their truce, Sesshomaru had trained her in the art of fighting since Inuyasha didn't have the patience. Kagome still couldn't believe that the youkai who hated ningen so much would take time out to teach her how to fight-and get her a sword. When she'd asked him why he was helping her he'd told her in his emotionless voice that she was the guardian of the nearly complete Shikon No Tama, and with the fate of his kingdom depending on the outcome of their soon battle with Naraku he had to make sure that at least _one of them_ could hold a sword the right way.

Obviously he was still disdainful of Inuyasha and his fighting techniques.

_Those two will never be close._ Kagome sighed.

Not only had she grown into her looks and fighting abilities, but Kagome had grown into her miko abilities as well. Her purification powers had long since surpassed Kikyou's own—much to the other miko's constant displeasure—and they were as natural to her as breathing.

Her fingers glowed and cackled with pink light, but she fisted her hands and the glow faded away.

Why did this feel off somehow?

Frowning, Kagome sensed an odd feeling in the air, unconsciously touching the sword that hung from her wide hips and the bow and quiver with arrows that were slung over her shoulder. Was this presence she felt a youkai come to challenge her for the shards she had?

_Follow me through the well and leave my loved ones alone_.

Jumping into the well, Kagome felt a cold chill pass through her, but before she could wonder at the difference in the travel, she was on the other side.

_Odd_.

Climbing up the well, Kagome sat on the mouth and her frown darkened. Where was Inuyasha? And why did this look different somehow?

Movement in the forest caught her attention, and she sensed youkai…many of them. She would have left rapidly—for they were too many to take on foolhardily—until she heard a female cry out in fear.

Without thought as to her own safety, Kagome took off, hoping that Inuyasha would soon pick up her scent and come to help her. Pulling out her bow and arrow she leapt towards the sounds of fighting, and paused in horror at the scene before her.

Multitudes of youkai were surrounding a young youkai female with a young pup around Shippou's age, who was trying to fight back despite how disadvantaged he was. The inu female was fighting admirably considering the odds against her and the fact that she had to keep her child safe.

Kagome let an arrow loose in the back of the group away from the female, worried that she might get purified as well. The arrow pierced six youkai and purified them, exploding and purifying many more around them, cutting down the numbers drastically all around the female yet making sure that she and her pup were safe.

The constant blasts of purifying energy stunned the youkai, and Kagome met the surprised yet grateful eyes of the female youkai before her eyes widened when one of the male youkai thrust their hands through her stomach.

"Mama!" The child cried as the female fell.

Kagome gave a cry and dropped her bow and arrow, pulling out Raidon, the sword given to her by Sesshomaru, and charged. The youkai turned their backs on the fallen female inu youkai and attacked Kagome, but despite her show of power they underestimated her and paid for it.

When the last youkai fell, Kagome hurried to the female inu youkai, who was cradling her son, and was whispering comforts to him as she breathed heavily.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, keeping her distance because she knew that animals tended to attack when injured.

The young pup, covered and hidden by his cloak, turned and growled at her.

"You're a ningen." The female hissed out after chastising her son with a warning growl. "Why would you help this Nami?"

Kagome blinked. This woman spoke a lot like Sesshomaru. Was she a cousin? "You were being attacked, Nami-sama. Should I have allowed you and the pup to be hurt?"

The little one growled once more, sounding annoyed at having been called a 'pup'.

The inu youkai looked up at Kagome in suspicion, before an awed expression crossed her face. "You are an odd ningen, miko."

Kagome nearly snorted. This woman _had_ to be family to Sesshomaru. How many times had he told her that very same thing while they were training? "You are still hurt," she whispered, suddenly realizing that the wound wasn't healing.

Nami-sama opened her mouth to say something when she frowned and with a hiss of pain she leaned forwards, sniffing. "Come closer, miko."

Kagome hesitated but did as told. "We need to heal you. I—I might purify you by accident if I try, so if you have anyone I can contact to-." She gave a cry when the youkai reached forwards and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer, sniffing her nearly frantically. "N-Nami-sama?"

The pup suddenly froze and sniffed the air as well before hesitantly leaving his mother's side to sniff around Kagome. He whimpered and pulled back as it to run, before pausing, straightening his back, and returning to her with steely resolve, sniffing once more.

Kagome frowned. Did she smell _that_ bad?

"How do you have his scent all over you? Why is _that_ specific scent coverings yours?" Nami-sama asked herself, she then gave a little cry of pain as her wound _grew_.

Realizing that the youkai wasn't about to hurt her, Kagome frowned. "I need to look for help for you. Who can I-." Had the pup just _growled_ at her again?

_Yes,_ he _HAD!_

The pup sniffed the arm his mother had in a death grip, and once again he growled, but instead of it sounding threatening it was a throaty, pleased sound. He sniffed up the young miko's arm and altered between making the odd growling sounds and…was that a _purr_?

Kagome frowned at the pup. She wasn't used to this behavior—Shippou didn't do this. The young miko wondered if this was Inuyoukai behavior, never noticing that she was glowing, or that thanks to the hold Nami-sama had on her, she was glowing as well, and the injury she now sustained was beginning to close up.

The female inuyoukai was amazed, realizing the power in this miko, and the significance of her son's actions.

"_Hey_!" Kagome exclaimed when the pup grabbed the hem of her skirt and lifted it, sniffing all the while. Slapping at his hands, she glared at the child she had yet to see thanks to the cloak when he growled at her for her actions. "Look here runt, I don't know _what_ you think you-_hey_!-stop _growling_ at me!"

The child grabbed the hand she'd slapped his with, and with a strength that surprised her, pulled her towards him, growling all the while.

"_Sesshomaru_." Nami-sama growled scolding him for his actions.

Kagome's eyes widened. _Sesshomaru? Does Sesshomaru-sama have a mate and pup? Why didn't he tell us?_

The pup froze and reluctantly let go of Kagome, as did his mother.

The miko stood and turned to look at Nami-sama, surprised to see her completely healed. "Oh, you healed yourself." She sighed in relief, standing. "I'm glad." Sesshomaru would have _killed_ her if she let something happen to his mate and pup!

Nami-sama was surprised that the miko hadn't realized that _she'd_ healed her. Were her powers so strong that even though she'd subconsciously healed a wound that would have killed her, she didn't even feel weak?

There was movement in the shadows and Kagome sprung forwards, grabbing Raidon once more and standing in a defensive pose.

There was a feral growl.

"Touga." Nami-sama rapidly stood to her feet as a menacing figure stepped from the shadows. "Do not hurt her. She saved this Nami and your heir from those dishonorable youkai who would have murdered us."

The inuyoukai stepped out into the sunlight, growling at a suddenly pale Kagome. "Why would you help youkai, ningen?" He wanted to know as he stalked towards her.

Kagome's face drained of color. _No. It CAN'T be!_ Her heart stopped as she saw Inutaisho…Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's _father_. She remembered him from when they'd sealed his third sword in hell. _Dear Kami. The well sent me more than a 1,000 years back in time instead of 500!_

Just then she caught a look at herself in Inutaisho's armor and nearly cried out when she realized that she was fifteen again! What was HAPPENING TO HER?

Due to her inner stress she didn't notice the pup Sesshomaru go in front of her and growl at his father, neither did she see Inutaisho pause and frown at his son's behavior before sniffing the air around her and his eyes went wide.

The Taiyoukai shared a look with Nami-sama and she nodded. He frowned, looking from his son to at Kagome thoughtfully, all menace replaced by curiosity. "Ningen."

Kagome looked up at him. "H-hai, Taiyoukai-sama?"

"You will accompany us to the Western Lands as an honored guest for having saved my mate and heir's lives."

Her eyes went wide. "Arigato, Taiyoukai-sama, but I must decline the _most generous offer_, because I have a long journey to my home. I-I-my family will be worried and I must continue with my duties as miko and my duties to my family and-." Once again the pup-was it really _Sesshomaru?_-was growling at her.

She frowned at him, growing more and more annoyed at the moment, and she was sure the three youkai could smell it on her. What was his _deal_? Sure, he hated humans—but she was _leaving_ for crying out loud!

The hood fell backwards, and the face of a very young, very displeased Sesshomaru glared up at her as if she'd committed some capital crime against him.

Kagome gasped, shocked to see Sesshomaru like this—so _young_.

_He's so CUTE!_

She couldn't help but giggle at the evil look the Sesshomaru _she_ knew would have given her if he knew she'd thought that about his younger self-even if it were completely true.

The glare softened on the pup's face at her giggle.

"Miko, I am sure your family and your promised one will understand the honor being given you." Inutaisho declared. "You are to be the miko of my palace."

Nami-sama understood what her mate was doing, and she allowed herself a small smile, agreeing with his method. Plus, she truly wanted to get to know the young miko that not only had saved their lives, but had her son's _fully grown_ scent all over her.

Kagome thought about Inuyasha and shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, Taiyoukai-sama," she bowed rapidly, taking some steps backward. "But I'm afraid he wouldn't be too happy at all, and I have a duty that I am honor-bound to and cannot leave." Bowing once more, she sheathed Raidon and hurried to where she'd left her bow and quiver filled with arrows.

Slinging them over her shoulder she was about to hurry towards the well and jump in when there was a blur of white, and Sesshomaru was in front of her, growling, advancing on her.

She took a couple of steps back before frowning and keeping her ground. "What is your _problem_?" She growled, side-stepping him and taking a step forwards only to have him block her move, growling in growing displeasure.

"How dare you address this Sesshomaru in such a disrespectful way, ningen?" He spoke, surprising her silly because despite the fact that he looked the age of Shippou, she'd still expected to hear his older, emotionless voice.

"Listen Sesshomaru," Kagome frowned at him, narrowing her eyes. "I am _not_ taking this from you! Especially not when you're a mere pup!" Side-stepping him, she took off as quickly as she could towards the well. She almost made it only to have something barrel into her, causing her to crash into the grass.

By the time she recuperated from the fall, she didn't need to look up to know what had happened. The angered growl was enough to let her know that that little runt had crashed into her.

"Sesshomaru, she may be a miko but she's still human." Nami-sama's voice was right next to her. "You might hurt her."

"Then order this ningen to obey this Sesshomaru." The pup ordered difficultly.

"Be glad I don't hurt _pups_." Kagome groaned as she forced herself to her feet, hand itching to grab Raidon just to hit the arrogant pup on the head with it's dull side. She was beginning to understand Inuyasha's relationship with Shippou.

"That sword…"

Kagome looked up and at Inutashio, who stood besides his mate, looking at Raidon in surprise. "It is made from a fang freely given of Sesshomaru!"

The miko froze in shock. _What_? He'd never told her that!

"I knew it!" Nami-sama smiled, her suspicions confirmed. "You are from the future, ne?"

Kagome grew uneasy. "I—I—I'm terribly sorry." With that she jerked around, climbed up on the well and jumped in before anyone could stop her.

Climbing back out of the well, Kagome froze.

She wasn't back home.

Frowning uneasily, she sat on the mouth of the well and looked around. She wasn't even in a meadow, but in a secured, exotic-looking garden. Where the heck was she and what was wrong with the well?

_Inuyasha's going to be sooo angry! I'm never going to make it back there and he's going to think that I'm just fooling around or taking tests or-_.

"You are to follow me, miko."

Giving a little cry, Kagome realized that she wasn't alone any longer. Sometime during her inner rambling an ugly little green creature had appeared before her and—wait—was that-? "_Jaken_?"

The younger version of the ugly toad youkai looked up at her in surprise. "How do you know my name, ningen? Are you a witch as well as a miko?"

She frowned. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. "Where am I?"

"In the Palace of Lord Inutaisho of course." The toad youkai sniffed at her in disdain. "Now come with me. I have been ordered to that post for too many centuries to have you run off now that you've returned."

Kagome frowned, her curiosity getting the better of herself. What was Jaken talking about? And why was the well now in the Western Lands? In Inuyasha's father's _palace_ for crying out loud?

Feet touching the ground, Kagome followed the prissy toad out of the garden and into the majestic palace. She'd never been in Sesshomaru's palace before, and wondered if it looked like this during Inuyasha's time or if the new Lord of the Western Lands had changed it up.

She didn't think of Sesshomaru as the decorative type, so she guessed the palace looked the same.

"Jaken?" She asked as they continued to walk. "Where are you taking me?"

He stiffened, obviously angered at the thought of her questioning him. "My Master has entrusted me with the sacred duty of guarding that vile well, and I have finally proven my worth to him after all of these years."

_Great for you_, Kagome thought sarcastically. _But you didn't exactly answer my question_.

"Are Taiyoukai-sama and Nami-sama well?" She asked out of pure curiosity.

Jaken paused before continuing his waddling. "Nami-sama was killed two hundred years ago by rogue youkai."

Kagome's heart hurt at the revelation. She'd always known that Sesshomaru had lost his mother at a young age, but still the revelation broke her heart. He was truly like her little Shippou now—except, of course, he still had a father.

So lost in her thoughts, Kagome never noticed that they'd reached their destination until she nearly trampled over Jaken, who'd thrown himself onto the ground in a clumsy yet enthusiastic way.

She frowned, looking down at the prostrate creature. "Did you trip or something?"

"Bow you fool!" The toad hissed, voice muffled by the carpet.

Frown growing deeper, she looked up and her eyes widened when she noticed that they were in an almost empty throne room, and sitting on the throne was the Taiyoukai himself.

"Taiyoukai-sama!" Kagome bowed from her waist rapidly.

"Miko. You haven't aged a day." There was a pause, and his lips curled upward in obvious amusement. "How very…_convenient_."

She winced. _I'm still fifteen then? Darn it. What has that well DONE?_

"I have brought her as you have requested, my lord." Jaken continued bowing fervently.

"Well done Jaken."

The toad nearly fainted with joy at the praise.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the creature before turning to its master. "Taiyoukai-sama, why was the well brought to the Western Lands? It doesn't belong here."

Jaken jumped to his feet and shook his fist at her. "How _dare_ you question my lord and master? How-?"

"You sent for me father?" A voice asked behind her. "I-." He suddenly went silent as the sound of sniffing reached her ears.

Kagome froze. While it wasn't the deep, emotionless voice she was used to, it was quite different from the one she'd heard him use last time.

Turning, she gulped when her eyes fell upon Sesshomaru, except, he was quite a bit older than he had been during her last visit. The pup had grown into a young youkai of what would seem to be sixteen in human years, but she knew that he was far older than that.

"Sesshomaru-sama." She quickly bowed as well, remembering that long before this age Sesshomaru's hatred for humans had already been planted in his heart, and she hadn't really made a great impression with him last time so-.

She gave a little 'eep' when there was a blur of color and she was pushed against the wall hard enough to knock the air out of her but not enough to truly hurt her. Sesshomaru grabbed her wrists with one hand and held them above her before pinning her against the wall with one hand pressed against her chest.

"_Hey_!" She exclaimed, trying to wriggle free from him only to go still when he leaned towards her and began to sniff.

What was it with him and sniffing her?

"Get off me buddy." She growled, thrashing in his hold. She didn't care that he was the 'killing perfection', she wanted him to let go! He had no _right_ having his hand on her chest and restrain her like this!

He growled right back at her. "Silence bitch! Submit to your alpha!"

"What are you _talking _about?" She continued struggling. "_You_ are _not_ my alpha!"

His hold on her wrists became numbing as he stopped the flow of blood to her hands. "Who is?"

"I don't _have_ an alpha you—you—argh!" She sent a blast of purification power towards him and sent him staggering back in surprise, cursing the burning pain that'd engulfed him for a second. "Touch me again and I'll purify your ass!"

Inutaisho watched the happenings with open amusement.

Jaken's bug-eyes widened in horror.

"Who is the hanyou that marred your scent during our last meeting and still mars it today?" Sesshomaru asked in a dead calm voice.

It scared Kagome more than his anger ever could. Still, she wouldn't back down. "That's none of your business, Sesshomaru-sama."

"This Sesshomaru will decide whether it is his business or not." Came the emotionless answer.

"No he will _not_." She narrowed her eyes at him angrily before turning her back on the son to look at the father. "Jaken informed me of Nami-sama's death—I'd like to offer my condolences."

Inutaisho smiled sadly at her.

"Do not offer so freely your condolences, for he is not a youkai in mourning." Sesshomaru announced. "He is expecting a hanyou _bastard_ by a conniving ningen."

Obviously this was a sore topic, but Kagome couldn't help but smile. Inuyasha was soon going to be born!

Sesshomaru growled warningly in her ear.

She frowned at him. He wasn't acting like the Sesshomaru she'd grown used to. Sesshomaru _never_ growled, _never_ showed his anger—or _any_ emotion for that matter. So why was he acting so out of character? And why was he so _angry_ with her? Sure, they hadn't gotten along so well the last time they'd met, but he'd been a mere _pup_ at the time and she _had_ saved his and his mother's lives, hadn't she?

Shouldn't that _count_ for something?

"You will come with this Sesshomaru." He ordered, grabbing her upper arm.

She jerked it away from him and went towards his father, savoring the surprised and outraged look on the young inuyoukai's face at her continual defiance. _Good_. He _needed_ to be put in his place once in a while.

"Lord Taiyoukai, I must speak to you urgently." She bowed from her waist once more, deciding that the well had brought her back in time for a reason…what if it was to warn the Taiyoukai of what was to happen? If she could change the past Inuyasha would grow up with both parents and in the Western Lands as a prince like he should always have! He wouldn't be tortured, hurt, and persecuted!

Inutaisho nodded. "Speak."

She looked behind her at Jaken and Sesshomaru. "_Alone_."

Amusement grew in the Taiyoukai's face and he quickly looked at his son. "Is that alright with you, Sesshomaru?" He voice was filled with mirth that Kagome just couldn't understand.

And why ask Sesshomaru for permission?

"This Sesshomaru doesn't agree with this bitch's demands."

Her hackles begun to rise and she clenched his fists. "Well, this _bitch_ doesn't _want_ this _Sesshomaru_ around." Why was he continuing to insult her? Plus, she preferred to think that she was 'catty' instead of 'bitchy'.

"How DARE you speak to young Lord Sesshomaru like that!" Jaken screamed in horror.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Kagome. "Bitch, you _will_ learn your place."

"It will _never_ be beneath you!" She'd meant that in a _very_ innocent way, but seeing the shock on Sesshomaru's face before he suddenly smirked at her, Kagome gulped.

In seconds he was in front of her, nuzzling his face in her hair and whispering in her ear: "This Sesshomaru could make it very _agreeable_ to be _beneath_ him."

Too shocked to react, Kagome just looked up at him, face red, as he smirked and bowed to his father before leaving the throne room, Jaken trailing behind him.

"Who _was_ that and what has he done with the Ice-Prince Sesshomaru that I know?" She whispered, forgetting that she was in the presence of Inutaisho and that he could hear her easily.

The Taiyoukai cleared his throat.

Kagome turned back to look at him with a sheepish expression for having forgotten he was there, and then started to explain.

Tired, the miko decided to take up Inutaisho's offer. He'd listened to her intently before announcing that he wanted her to stay for a while to help council him, since she was the one with the knowledge of the future, and while Kagome didn't know how Sesshomaru would take a ningen living under the same roof, she'd decided that Inuyasha's happiness was worth any fights or taunts she'd get.

She still couldn't believe that Sesshomaru had _said_ that to her. He _hated_ humans!

_He was probably just rattling you._

_And he succeeded_.

Shivering, Kagome closed the door to her new bedroom and began to undo her belt. Laying Raidon and her bow and quiver of arrows on the bed, she sighed, taking the clip out of her long hair and taking out the plat. She'd discovered it to be a more practical hairstyle when one was fighting-loose hair could easily fall in your face a blind you while in battle-and a moment's blinding could cost you your life.

The door opened behind her, and a human servant entered, bowing once she saw her. "Excuse me Lady Miko, but I have been ordered to show you to the hot springs."

Kagome smiled. Now _that_ was something she was in need of. "Thank you." Following the servant out to the private gardens, Kagome's smile grew when she saw the warm pool with steam rising from the water.

"Will you need me to bathe you, Lady miko?" The servant girl asked.

"Oh no!" Kagome shook her head rapidly. "I'll take care of that myself."

"As you wish." The girl bowed once more before returning the way she'd come.

Turning to the hot spring, Kagome began to undo her clothes and then once she was naked, she entered the hot spring and shivered in delight at the warmth that surrounded her on that chilly night. "Sango would _love_ this place." She sighed, dipping her head under the water to wet her hair before resting with her back against a heating rock. "It's _much_ better than the ones Inuyasha finds for us."

Just thinking of her best friend made Kagome sigh with nostalgia, wondering if he was looking for her or angry that she 'preferred those tests' to spending time with him.

"Oh Inuyasha," she sighed, hugging her knees to her chest. "I miss you, my stubborn yet utterly handsome and protective hanyou."

She was so lost in her thoughts of Inuyasha she didn't hear the jealous growl from behind the bushes.

"I wonder if he misses me like I'm missing him." Kagome asked herself before deciding to take a swim in the large warm water, diving under and never noticing the streak of white that flashed from the bushes to the palace.

Once she was too tired to enjoy the hot spring, Kagome dried and wrapped herself in the robe the maid had brought for her to change into. She remembered vaguely which room was hers and how to get to it, and after some minutes walking she stumbled into her bedroom and was in the process of throwing her robe on the ground when she suddenly realized that she wasn't the only one in the room.

Twirling around, she gave a scream and quickly reached for the robe, pulling it on so quickly one would have thought she had youkai genes. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" She screamed, face red as a tomato, all sleep completely gone.

Of course, she was screaming at the silent, emotionless inuyoukai who was lying under her sheets.

He kept his eyes closed, hands behind his head. "This is this Sesshomaru's room, miko, where else would he be?"

Kagome blushed in shame. "Oh, I'm sorry Sesshomaru-sama. I—I must have mixed up the rooms and they look so much alike on the inside. I—I am _so_ sorry for this intrusion, it won't happen again." She went to the bedroom door to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"You haven't mixed up the rooms." He announced in a bored fashion, eyes still closed. "Your weapons and foot apparel are in the _other_ closet, though I shredded your clothes and had the remains burnt because they were indecent and I wasn't about to have you dressing like a harlot."

She paused, turning to look at him with a frown, deciding to ignore the last part. "What do you mean I haven't mixed up the rooms?"

"Are you hard of hearing?"

She growled. "No, I just find it hard to understand how you can say that this is _your_ room but that it is my room at the same time." She threw her hands in the air in frustration. "It's like saying it's_our_ room! Which, it isn't." She tried opening the door again, her attempts quite unsuccessful. "Why won't this thing _open_?"

"It's enchanted so that when this Sesshomaru is to sleep, no one can get in or out. It's a protection spell." He remarked dryly. "Quite handy actually."

"Well then, you'll just have to get out of bed and so I can get out of here and find another room, won't you?" She snarled, losing her temper. She was only wearing a robe and it was really cold.

He finally deemed the conversation important enough to open his eyes and look at her. "And, bitch, what room do you think you're sleeping in?"

"I don't know, it's a big palace." She shrugged, giving a tug at the door just for the heck of it. "Anywhere with a bed would be fine. I'm tired. Centuries might have passed for you since the last time we saw each other, but it's the same day for me, and I really need to rest and try to recuperate."

"Then get into bed and rest." That was an order.

And it pissed her off. "I _will_ when you get off your ass and open the door for me!"

"I'm not getting up. Bitch, you were placed in my room, you will sleep in my bed, and you will rest and stop acting as snappy as if you were in heat." He closed his eyes and smirked in amusement. "Because this Sesshomaru _knows_ you're not in heat, he'd smell it."

Kagome didn't know whether to be shocked, angry or embarrassed. Who the _hell_ WAS this guy? There was _no_ way the cocky bastard talking about her 'heat' was the ice-prince Sesshomaru she knew.

"Get in bed, bitch, its getting cold."

"Will you stop calling me _bitch_?" She snarled, getting fed up with the whole situation. "My name is Kagome, Ka-Go-Me, or you can even call me Miko. Just _stop_ calling me bitch."

"I call you bitch because that's what you are." He announced as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Yeah? Well, you bring out the worst in me, you know that?" She growled, shivering, tugging angrily on the door. She wanted _out_, and _right away_!

"I don't understand how I haven't trained you better. Am I so busy in the future that I don't have the time to properly train my own bitch?" He seemed to be talking to himself. "Then again, being the Lord of the Western Lands _does_ take time. And you _might_ be a new acquisition of mine."

She stopped tugging and turned to him with a glare. "Excuse me, I'm _not_ yours."

"How did we meet, bitch?" He asked, ignoring her earlier statement. "Did I buy you off of a slave market? Were you already working in the palace and I liked your smell? Were you given to me as a gift?"

"No," her voice was dripping with anger. "You tried to kill me."

He opened his eyes and sat up at that one. "Impossible, this Sesshomaru would _never_ try to kill his own bitch."

"Once and for all, I am _not_ your anything!" Kagome stomped angrily to the bed, keeping the robe wrapped around her, and dove under the sheets. She was freezing, and sick of standing bare-footed on the cold floor.

"Impossible." He declared, lying back down and closing his eyes.

"Oh?" She snorted, rubbing her hands together, trying to get warmth back into them. "And pray tell _why_ is this so impossible?"

"My scent is all over you." He pointed out. "Even when I was a pup I scented my grown scent all over you and knew from then you were my bitch."

She paused, starting to understand the whole confusion. "No, no, _no_. You've got it all wrong. I travel with your _brother_." She didn't notice him tense up at that. "I live and travel with _Inuyasha_, the child your father is going to have with the human woman you seem to despise so much. We also travel with Miroku, a monk, Sango, a Demon Exterminator, Kirara—her neko demon friend, and-."

He interrupted in a soft voice. "The hanyou I smelt all over you, it was my brother."

"Yes!" She was glad that he got that.

"And you were with him when I supposedly tried to kill you?"

"Exactly!" Great, _now_ he had understood everything.

"No wonder I tried to kill you. What was my bitch doing _living_ with my brother?" He snarled, muscles tensed as he turned to glare at her. "Did he touch what belongs only to this Sesshomaru? Did he possess you?"

Kagome cried out as she was flipped with her back against the bed and an angry inuyoukai straddling her, eyes pink in anger.

"Answer me, my bitch! And know that I will know if you lie."

Her heart was racing. She'd never been in this position before with a youkai male, and the fact that he was aroused, and straddling her—well—she gulped.

"You aren't pure, bitch." He frowned deeper. "And I don't think that I have touched you—your body behaves as if mine is a foreigner. So I must have first discovered your existence while you were traveling with the hanyou bastard my father is to have with his ningen bitch and decided that I wished you for myself." The pinkness left his eyes and he seemed placated, talking calmly once more. "Who else traveled with you?"

"Shippou." She whispered, not understanding the heat her body was experiencing. She'd had sex before—with Hojo—but she'd never felt anything like she did with the youkai straddling her. "He's my pup."

Sesshomaru stilled completely. "Your _pup_?"

She nodded.

Getting off of her he laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling. "How old is he?"

"Around your age when I first met you." She whispered, turning her back on him and pulling the blankets up over her, sadness entering her as she thought of her little adopted youkai pup. "He must be missing me now." She sighed. "I know _I_ miss _him_."

Sesshomaru was silent.

Closing her eyes, Kagome fell asleep, dreaming of her friends, of Shippou, and of a fully grown Sesshomaru, never noticing when she turned in her sleep and curled around his figure, seeking the warmth he offered her.

The inuyoukai looked down at her in silence, all the while wondering who the father of her pup was, if he was still alive—and if he was—how to kill him as painfully as possible.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	2. Birth of A Hanyou

A/N: Everyone was bugging out about WHO Kagome lost her virginity to-they are like "HOJO? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?". O.o This explains HOW Kagome lost her virginity to Akitoki Hojo.

**Warning! SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE "SWORDS OF AN HONORABLE RULER"!**

* * *

><p>"Don't ignore me, miko."<p>

Doing _just that_, Kagome turned her back on an irate Sesshomaru and continued to watch the guards training, _shirtless_, below. A couple of days in the past had left her cranky. She didn't understand it, maybe her saving Sesshomaru's mother when she was supposed to have died had changed the future—because she _knew_ that at this age Sesshomaru killed ningen on sight…

…_Not _follow them around and act like a possessive idiot if she paid attention to another male—which she was doing more and more just to piss him off.

He kept acting like she belonged to him-and she _did not_ belong to Sesshomaru. No. Never. No matter _what_ he believed.

One of these days he was going to discover the truth and feel _real_ stupid.

Admiring one of the inuyoukai's below, Kagome leaned against the balcony. Thanks to her help Inutaisho had killed Ryūkotsusei the dragon demon—instead of just sealing him in the cliff with his fang—and that alone had endeared her to Inutaisho and his people.

Sesshomaru was just annoyed that she was allowed to speak her mind in the battle councils. According to the chauvinistic inuyoukai she shouldn't have to think about such things and he preferred her to spend her time in the gardens like a 'refined youkai lady' would.

That'd led to Kagome announcing that she _wasn't_ a 'youkai lady' and that she _really_ wished she had a rosary for him.

Thankfully, Sesshomaru had no idea what a rosary was or what it was used for—or she knew that she'd have gotten more than the annoyed sniff he'd given her.

Ignoring Sesshomaru's warning growl behind her, Kagome leaned further on the railing and sighed, eyeing the inuyoukai that'd caught her attention. She wasn't sure what his name was, but he had the most enchanting green eyes. Something about him had attracted her from the moment she'd first seen him sparring with his fellow guards her second day as a 'guest' of Taiyoukai-sama—and the fact that he looked _great_ shirtless might have had something to do with it.

Kagome giggled. She couldn't really believe herself. Sure, she'd had sex before—but that's been once and she'd been drunk. It'd been during an intense argument with Inuyasha. After "Sitting" him a million times, she'd gone home right in time to be invited to a party.

Normally Kagome wasn't a party girl, but she was pissed and wanting to piss Inuyasha off more, so she'd gone, gotten drunk, and awoken in Akitoki's car half naked and sore.

Not the way one dreamt of losing her virginity—but with Kagome nothing seemed to go as planned.

Green eyes rose and met with blue ones, and Kagome blushed when the nameless youkai flashed her a winning smile, all the while effortlessly dodging all the blows sent in his direction despite the fact that his eyes never left hers.

Suddenly something darkened those eyes.

"If you continue to flaunt what is mine you will force this Sesshomaru to kill one of his finest." A silky voice whispered in her ear and Kagome's face burnt scarlet when she felt him press up against her from behind.

Kagome closed her eyes and bit the inside of her mouth to keep the moan at bay as his hard-on pressed against her butt. There was _no_ way she was going to let him know how he affected her!

With his hands on each side of her, front pressed against her back, chin resting comfortably on her right shoulder, Sesshomaru took in a whiff of her scent. "Or are you doing this because you wish for this Sesshomaru to prove that he is a worthy mate and able to protect you against the advances of other males?"

_MATE?_ "W-wa-wait here now buster!" Kagome exclaimed as she twirled around, unwittingly putting them into an even _more_ intimate position as she tried to glare up into his darkening eyes. "First of all, I'm not your _bitch_, so there is _no way_ that I am your _mate_. And second of all, even if I _was_ your _mate_ I wouldn't—EEP!"

Her eyes went wide and she froze when he moved his hands from the railing to around her waist, pulling her flush against him. His mouth claimed hers before she could regain the control of her mind and tell him off—and by the time the surprise of his attack wore off her mind was too foggy with pleasure as he pressed her back against the railing, taking the kiss deeper.

_What was I screaming at him about again_?

Whimpering when his hands went roughly down her back to cup her ass, Kagome lost all thought when Sesshomaru began kneading her as he growled seductively against her lips, pressing her against his hard-on.

Was it her or had it suddenly gotten _scalding hot_ in here?

"Sesshomaru," an amused voice announced. "Unless you want to take her here out in the open and in plain view of those around, I suggest you control yourself."

Sesshomaru growled in annoyance against her lips, and after one last hard squeeze on her ass—as if trying to leave a mark on her—he let go and turned nonchalantly to the smirking Inuyoukai. "Father."

Kagome blinked and rubbed her sore bottom, not quite realizing the spectacle Sesshomaru had just made of them—or that they'd been caught by _his father_.

All amusement left the Taiyoukai's face as he turned to Kagome. "The time has arrived. I sense the birth of my son to be imminent."

That brought Kagome out of her haze immediately with a large smile. _Inuyasha!_

Sesshomaru growled but went ignored by both his father and Kagome.

"Let me come." She begged.

"No." Inutaisho and his son announced at the same time.

"I'm not asking _you_ anything." She hissed at Sesshomaru before turning to his father. "Please, Taiyoukai-sama, let me go with you!"

Inutaisho shook his head. "I alone shall go."

"But Takemaru—." She paused. "Then again, you weren't fatally wounded by that dragon youkai—but still!" She was fighting with herself before looking up pleadingly at the handsome inuyoukai. "Before—in the _other_ past—you were wounded while sealing the dragon youkai and then Izayoi-sama went into labor and you went to her because you wanted to be there for Inuyasha's birth."

Inutaisho nodded for her to continue.

"She's at her family residence, which is guarded by one called Setsuno no Takemaru and his samurai. They know that you will want to be there and he has intentionally heavily guarded the place to make sure that you don't survive the visit. Takemaru, he-," she paused, wondering how much to reveal. "He loves Izayoi-sama."

Inutaisho growled, his eyes flickering red at the news. "Go on."

"He believes that she has defiled herself by loving you—and he stabs her while she's giving birth—but you bring her back with Tenseiga."

The inuyoukai's shared a look. This was yet another proof that this miko was from the future. The knowledge of Tenseiga's _true_ power had been a well-kept secret.

"You give her your fire-rat cloak to protect her and Inuyasha from the burning castle-and Inuyasha still wears it until this day—or the future—however you want to see it as." Her smile softened as she thought about the Hanyou.

This time it was _Sesshomaru_ whose eyes were flickering from golden to red and he clenched his fist, trying to calm his bloodlust at the obvious fact that _his bitch_ had _feelings_ for another male. His claws bit into his skin, and red blood flowed from his fist, but he didn't notice it or the pain.

Kagome, oblivious to this, looked up at a silent Inutaisho. "Takemaru and you die, Taiyoukai-sama." She said in a soft voice. "Izayoi-sama is left to raise Inuyasha alone and bear the prejudice and hatred people and youkai alike have for _half-breeds_."

She gave a glare to Sesshomaru as she said that before returning her attention to his father. "That's why I'm doing this, risking everything in the future. Inuyasha—he's the most important person for me—and he deserves to have a good childhood with a mother who loves him and a father to help curb his _horrible_ temper."

By now Sesshomaru's eyes were pink.

Inutaisho frowned at his eldest son before turning his eyes on a silent Kagome. "My youngest—_Inuyasha_—you love him."

"Hai." She smiled sadly, not paying attention to Sesshomaru, who stormed away before his anger and jealousy gave way to bloodlust. "He is my best friend, so _please_, let me come tonight. I-I can help you and Izayoi-sama. I know I can."

Inutaisho surprised her by raising his hand and cupping her cheek. "You are an odd ningen, miko."

Kagome chuckled softly at that. "So I've been told."

"You will come with me." Inutaisho finally decided. "Get your weapons—my mate awaits."

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru tore apart the rocks and trees and he let loose his rage. Some unfortunate animals found themselves in his way before being shredded to pieces as the demon continued to wreck destruction on whatever dared to stand in his way.<p>

_Inuyasha._

_INUYASHA._

_A Hanyou._

_She said she loved him._

_MY OWN FUCKING BROTHER!_

Picking up a large boulder, Sesshomaru threw it as far away from his as possible before slumping to the ground angrily. He knew that he was throwing a tantrum like any unruly pup, but he really didn't care.

He'd realized that his bitch wasn't used to him, and _definitely_ wasn't used to taking his orders, and so he'd decided to use the days to try and train her properly—like he should have done in the future the moment he'd acquired her. But she was defiant to the end—and while he couldn't help but find her fiery spirit a definite turn-on, Sesshomaru didn't know how much longer he could take her challenging his role as her alpha.

She needed to submit to him. He was her master, her owner, her protector. She'd soon be his mate-the smell on her of his future self said so in itself. It wasn't the usual scent one had when in constant contact with someone, but his scent was _marking_ her, staking a silent yet powerful claim on the ningen miko.

What Sesshomaru couldn't understand was _why_ he'd only staked a claim and not mated her—or at least physically _marked_ her. Why only begin in the courting only right before she was sent here if they'd known each other for as many years as she insisted they did?

He'd only known her for a couple of days and he was _already_ fighting his demonic desires concerning her. She was just too tempting. How had he survived so many years in the future with only scent marking?

Honestly, if he hadn't been so lenient with her in the future he wouldn't be suffering with such _frustration_ as he was now!

"My Lord Sesshomaru?" A squeaky voice called.

He didn't acknowledge the toad's presence.

"You ordered me to keep an eye on Miko-sama." Jaken had grudgingly decided that Kagome wasn't a ningen—for they were useless and stupid—and that she was simply a miko. And he could respect a miko—especially if his master Sesshomaru was so intent on having her.

"And what of it?" Sesshomaru asked, looking at his shoes as the pink disappeared from his eyes and he calmed, bloodlust sated with his bout of fury.

Jaken was trembling. "I came to let you know that Miko-sama and Taiyoukai-sama have left to find that ningen who is to bear the bastard Hanyou."

"_What_?" Sesshomaru growled, head jerking up as he stood, anger returning to him tenfold. "She said that the place was _heavily guarded!_ How could father have been so stupid as to take her along with him?"

Jaken threw himself on the ground. "Forgive me Sesshomaru-sama! I have failed you! I should have told you sooner! I should be punished for failing you after you saved this worthless youkai life so many centuries ago and allowed me to live and work here!"

There was only silence.

Looking up the toad sweat-dropped; Sesshomaru was no longer there.

* * *

><p>She'd tried to reason with them, not wanting to shed human blood, but when the arrows flew out at her despite the fact that they knew she was a Miko, Kagome sorrowfully engaged the humans in combat. Right now all that mattered to her was Izayoi and Inuyasha.<p>

Hiding behind a tree, she fired arrow after arrow, while Inutaisho, in his true form, massacred the guards of samurai.

Seeing him turn to his humanoid form and hurry to where Izayoi should be giving birth, Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. Things would be fine now. Inutaisho would revive Izayoi (if Takemaru had even managed to kill her this time) and they'd all escape to his palace.

A smile touched her face at the thought of being able to see Inuyasha as a baby.

Imagine all the things she could embarrass him about when the well returned things to normal and she was with her Hanyou once more.

An arrow whizzed by her cheek, bringing her back to the present and the fact that there were trained samurai trying to kill her.

Pulling out Raidon as one of the Samurais came too close for her to shoot at, Kagome launched into battle, trying to keep up as more and more samurais arrived and tried to take a whack at her.

For once thanking Sesshomaru's _horribly intense_ training sessions, she cut those around her, chopping off hands and feet, maiming them, trying her best to disarm and hurt yet not kill the humans despite the fact that they had no qualms in killing her.

She cried as Raidon was flung from her arms and the samurai who'd accomplished said feat leered triumphantly before backhanding her so hard she fell from the blow. Blood trickled from her cracked lip, but she ignored it, glaring up at the men who were now leering at her.

"Helping your lover take Lady Izayoi, are you, demon lover?" One of them hissed.

"How could a _miko_ allow herself to be tainted by such a monster?" Another wanted to know in disgust.

"_You're_ the monsters." She hissed and prepared for the blow when one of the samurai's held his katana high, ready to plunge it down into her.

There were screams and something squirted on Kagome's body, bathing her in its metallic warmth.

Eyes flying open, Kagome gasped as she saw Sesshomaru in his true demonic form, fighting the countless samurais who'd let their guard down to watch their companion kill the weaponless miko.

She'd believed that Inutaisho had fought with anger, but the _viciousness_ she saw in Sesshomaru froze her to the core. He tore and shredded the humans, his white fur covered in their blood, and he didn't stop when they were all dead—bodies broken on the ground.

The large dog growled, looked around, readying for another attack that never came. It sniffed the air and turned to look at her, red eyes blazing.

Kagome's heart stopped. She'd only seen Sesshomaru in his true form once, and then he'd tried to kill her.

The large creature growled angrily at her, stalking towards the terrified miko. She closed her eyes and waited for death.

But it never came.

With his snout Sesshomaru sniffed her body, whimpering, nudging her softly.

_He's checking to see if I'm hurt_. Surprise opened those blue eyes as she looked up at the creature that was still whimpering nervously. "I—I'm fine." She whispered, knowing he could hear and understand her.

Sesshomaru didn't seem to want to take her word for it, because he pressed his nose against her chest and trailed it over her skin, sniffing and licking.

Blushing, Kagome tried to get him to stop but only received a scolding growl from him before he continued to clean the blood off of her.

"Your father is still there, we need to help him and Izayoi-sama. We should-." She gave a cry when Sesshomaru pushed against her harshly with his nose, causing her to fall right back down when she'd tried to get up. "_Sesshomaru_!" Kagome complained as his tongue continued to clean her skin of the offending blood. "I can take a bath _later_!"

Was…was the large dog _chuckling_ at her?

She was confused. She didn't _think_ dogs could chuckle.

But it _sounded suspiciously_ like chuckles.

She narrowed her eyes at him and opened her mouth…

"Sesshomaru?" A surprised voice asked. "You—you—what are you doing here?"

Both turned to see Inutaisho (in his humanoid form) standing with a woman around Sango's age, who was covered in the fire-rat cloak and holding a crying bundle in her arms. The woman was beautiful, but what caught Kagome's attention was the baby.

_Inuyasha_.

The large dog growled at his father, his eyes burning blood red as he snarled and bared his teeth.

Izayoi held the baby Inuyasha close to her heart protectively, eyes wide in fear, as she backed away.

Inutaisho's arm on her shoulder kept the frightened woman from running away. "That may be so, but she is a miko, and powerful. She may come and go as she wishes—she knew how dangerous it would be if she came here, but she wanted to do it for Izayoi and Inuyasha."

Those blood-red eyes darkened as the snarling continued. He was obviously speaking, but only his father could understand what he said while he was in his true demonic form.

"You didn't have to come." Inutaisho pointed out.

Kagome took the opportunity now that the inuyoukai was distracted, to get up. Grabbing Raidon, she sheathed it before going to retrieve her bow and arrows.

When they were fastened in place, she hurried to Izayoi and Inuyasha. The miko bowed before smiling up at her. "Izayoi-sama, it is a pleasure to meet you and see that both Taiyoukai-sama, Inuyasha-kun and yourself are well."

Izayoi tore her terrified eyes from Sesshomaru and looked at Kagome, a small, shaky smile on her face. "Thank you, Miko-sama. Touga has told me that it is thanks to you that we are all alive."

Kagome blushed. "He exaggerates."

"So like ningen females to get lost in conversation and forget that we are all still in danger." Sesshomaru's voice surprised Kagome into twirling around.

He was now in his humanoid form, yet anger still burned in his eyes. "Come bitch, I will not have you in danger any longer because of my father's ningen bitch and her Hanyou bastard."

Izayoi flinched, hurt in her dark eyes as she held Inuyasha closer.

"Sesshomaru, _stop it_! You're being mean, rude, and, and, well, you're being _rude._" Kagome hissed at him before turning to Izayoi once more. "Please forgive him, he gets a little cranky and—!" She cried out as she was grabbed from behind and thrown over his shoulder. "Put me down this _instance _Sesshomaru!"

Izayoi looked worried.

Inutaisho kept his grin as inconspicuous as possible—which was completely impossible—so he ended up smirking, giving Izayoi a little squeeze. "She is his mate to be." He explained as they followed his son and a kicking and complaining Kagome.

"I _heard_ that!" The miko cried from where she hung upside down on Sesshomaru's shoulder as he continued walking away with her. "And I am _NOT_ his _anything_!"

He gave her a reprimanding slap on the butt.

"Hey! Hands _off_!"

Izayoi and Inutaisho were quite entertained throughout the walk back as Kagome threatened the Inuyoukai with fates worse than death, and he retaliated by slapping her butt—which only enraged her further.

* * *

><p>"Are you <em>insane<em>?" Kagome exclaimed in horror as she looked up at the inuyoukai. She'd shed her clothes and had been about to enter the hot springs when he'd arrived and begun to take off his clothes as well. "I am _not_ bathing with you!"

There were down in the hot springs, and the inuyoukai had already striped bare, waiting impatiently. "You are covered in the stench of ningen blood, and I will not have you sleeping in our bed smelling like _that_."

_Look him in the eyes…look him in the eyes._ She kept that mantra, _ordering_ her eyes not to stray down his naked chest to his…err…_nether_ regions…no matter _how_ tempted she was to just sneak a peek.

"Then let me sleep in a different room!" She held her towel to her body as if it were a shield.

Sesshomaru growled at her. "You belong to this Sesshomaru, bitch, and he will not have you sleeping anywhere other than where he is."

She frowned, realizing that she wasn't winning that debate. Plus, she really didn't mind sleeping with him, he was warm and comfortable, and liked to cuddle. "Okay then, but let me bathe somewhere else."

He sniffed as he entered the hot springs. "No."

"But why _not_?" She whined, shivering in the cold. Once again he had her out in the cold, shivering with only a little piece of cloth keeping her from being naked, and he was hogging the source of warmth.

"You are my bitch. You should learn the art of grooming." He stated as if this should be obvious. "I don't think I even got _that_ far with you in your training in the future."

"The only training you gave me had to do with _fighting_." She informed him. "Get it through your thick skull, you stubborn youkai, that in the future you can barely _stand_ me. There are no plans on mating, and you do _not_ own me."

"Yet."

"Argh! I give _up_!" She screamed, dropping the towel and rushing to jump into the hot springs so quickly he couldn't get a good look at her naked body. When she emerged, she ran her hands over her face and hair, removing the excess water and looking warily at the inuyoukai smiling smugly at her. "I really hate you, you know."

He smirked. "Oh, I doubt that, miko." He extended his hand. "Come."

She shook her head.

Sesshomaru's smirk grew. "Despite the strong temptation, this Sesshomaru only wishes to wash you of the scent of those disgusting ningen that dared touch his bitch."

She'd never known Sesshomaru to lie, so she slowly made her way to him and gave him her back, hugging her knees to her chest as he applied a sweat smelling liquid to his hands and ran it up and down her naked back.

Closing her eyes, Kagome relaxed into his touch after realizing that he wasn't behaving sexually at all, bathing her as he would a child. The young miko sighed and relaxed fully, enjoying his ministrations, giggling when she heard his purr of pleasure at her submission to his touch.

Kagome shook her head. _Who would have thought that Sesshomaru had this softer side to him?_

When he washed the sweet-smelling liquid off of Kagome's body and hair, the inuyoukai pulled her back against him and held her to his chest, purring in contentment. His demonic instincts had been sated. Sesshomaru was sure that she was ignorant of the significance of what they'd just done. Bathing together and grooming each other was the next step in courtship after scent marking, it helped those courting grow accustomed to each other's touch. It was also a test of trust (in the female's case) and of endurance and self-control (in the male's case), and both he and his miko had passed their tests with flying colors.

She'd submitted to his touch, relaxing against him, _trusting_ him to keep his word and not try anything sexual with her.

And someone he'd kept himself in check and hadn't taken her right there. Although, when she'd started moaning he'd almost given into his baser instincts...

_Later...I shall reap my rewards later._

And now, as her breathing slowed until she could only be in slumber, Sesshomaru smirked in contentment and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her trusting body against his.

_My bitch, my woman, my mate. You'll be mine before you know it._

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	3. Promise Broken

_A/N: Here's a little view of the changing future!_

A/N2: In Sesshomaru's POV the words in _italic_ are his thoughts, and the words in _**bold italic**_ are his inner demon's thoughts.

* * *

><p>Something was definitely up.<p>

Sitting in the royal gardens, Kagome raised a suspicious eyebrow at Sesshomaru. It'd been a couple of weeks since they'd saved Izayoi-sama and Inuyasha, and ever since that 'grooming' episode Sesshomaru had been smug. Kagome didn't know much about inuyoukai, but from the time she'd spent with Inuyasha she knew to be wary when one was smugly content.

The inuyoukai in question was training with the guards, giving Hayate (the handsome, green-eyed Inuyoukai she couldn't help but admire every time she saw him) a much harder time than the others. He was _purposely_ choosing Hayate to _train_ with, and after defeating him time after time he'd send a smug glance in Kagome's direction, as if making sure that she'd seen him humiliate the other inuyoukai.

_Or are you doing this because you wish for this Sesshomaru to prove that he is a worthy mate and able to protect you against the advances of other males?_

She narrowed her eyes at him as he once more sent her a smug smile after dodging one of Hayate's punches and knocking the smaller male off of his feet.

Kagome had a feeling that Sesshomaru wasn't going to believe her 'we're not mates' anytime soon, and believed that she truly did want him to prove 'his worth', which was idiotic considering that she was only a ningen while he was the great heir of the Western Lands.

Shouldn't it be _her_ who should be showing her worth?

If they were ACTUALLY mates to be-which they _weren't_—of _course_.

"Arrogant bastard." Kagome growled and turned her back on him to see Izayoi-sama smiling at her with Inuyasha in her arms. They'd been having a good time until Sesshomaru had decided that the guards should start 'training'.

"From what Touga had told me of his son, I never would have imagined Sesshomaru to act this way." The elder girl giggled, rocking her baby softly. "I imagined him cold, emotionless, and terrifying. _Not_ showing off like any ningen trying to win the favor of the woman he loves."

Kagome went beet red, eyes closing rapidly as she sweatdropped, waving her hands in front of her desperately. "No, no, _no_! Izayoi-sama, you _must _believe me. Sesshomaru and I are _not_ mates-to-be, no matter _what_ Taiyoukai-sama and the others might believe. I have explained the situation to you a million times already!"

Izayoi just smiled tenderly. "I know that you are from the future, and that you travel with my Inuyasha-kun, but haven't you ever thought that maybe, in the future, Sesshomaru _did _scent mark you?"

Kagome shook her head, another sweat drop falling down the side of her face. "You don't know him then, Izayoi-sama, he's tried to kill me more times than I want to remember, and anyway, I-." She blushed, looking at baby Inuyasha before clearing her throat and looking away. "My heart belongs to someone else."

Izayoi looked down at her son and then at the suddenly sad miko, eyes widening in understanding. "Oh. Oh! Oh _my_. This is—_odd_."

Kagome blushed darker, not daring to look at Inuyasha's mother. "And anyway, Sesshomaru doesn't really want me. The reason he thinks he does is because he stubbornly thinks that I'm his 'bitch' from the future." She growled. "Why must he insult me every time he speaks to me though? I mean, even if I _was_-."

"Insult?" Izayoi asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. "I can't imagine Sesshomaru insulting you, Miko-sama."

Kagome snorted. "Every two sentences it's 'bitch' this and 'bitch' that."

Izayoi narrowed her eyes softly. "Miko-sama, where you come from, is 'bitch' a vulgar word of insult?"

That caught her off guard. "Yes. Of course." She nodded. "It means a lewd or immoral woman who is spiteful, malicious and overbearing."

Izayoi's eyes opened. "Oh, Miko-sama!" She leaned forwards and placed a hand on Kagome's arm. "That word doesn't mean the same for Inuyoukai!"

Surprised, Kagome blinked. "Really?" She tilted her head to the side. "What does it mean?"

"Well, you have to understand that inuyoukai are, above all else, _dogs_." She giggled girlishly, reminding Kagome how very young she was. "Bitches _are_ female dogs—are they not?"

Kagome's eyes widened. "You mean that every time Sesshomaru calls me his _'bitch'_ he's really just calling me '_woman_'?"

"Hai, Miko-Sama, Sesshomaru _isn't_ insulting you when he calls you bitch, he's just basically asserting his claim." Looking quite pleased with herself, Izayoi's beauty seemed to shine forth. It wasn't surprising that she'd caught the eye of Inutaisho.

"Oh." Kagome's eyes peered on the baby Inuyasha for a moment, remembering the few times Inuyasha had called her a bitch. Had he meant it in the Inuyoukai form? Had he just been insulting her? Or had it meant something deeper?

"I'm glad." Izayoi said in a soft voice, causing Kagome to look up at her curiously. "I—I'm glad that Inuyasha found you after all that happened and that you taught him that despite the fact that he's a hanyou, he could be loved."

Kagome blushed scarlet and looked down at her fingers. "Inuyasha can be hardheaded and _intolerable_, but he has a good heart." She smiled and was surprised when Izayoi passed the baby to her. During the weeks they'd known each other this was the first time Izayoi had let go of her son.

The mother watched the blushing teen cradling the baby Inuyasha, who suddenly woke up and grabbed a handful of her dark hair, giving it a playful tug.

Kagome yelped slightly yet retaliated by rubbing the hanyou's ears. Izayoi was surprised to hear her son purring-she'd never heard him make that sound before. _Apparently_ Kagome knew his weaknesses.

She smiled softly, watching them.

"He's going to be real handsome when he gets older." Kagome offered up the information, never taking her eyes off of Inuyasha. "He looks more like Taiyoukai-sama than Sesshomaru does, but Sesshomaru _acts_ more like Taiyoukai-sama."

Izayoi listened as Kagome continued speaking, love obvious in her voice.

"We didn't really have a good relationship at first—he tried to kill me." Kagome looked sheepish as she admitted it. "Something about me must make Taiyoukai-sama's sons want to eliminate me at first sight." She giggled. "But then, afterwards, we became best friends." All mirth left those blue eyes. "I—I miss him and my friends _so_ _much_."

Izayoi was surprised to see that Sesshomaru had called off the training and was looking in their direction, obviously using his youkai hearing to listen into the conversation. She wondered if she should let Kagome know that their conversation wasn't so private anymore.

"I miss my pup." Kagome surprised Izayoi by saying. The human hadn't known that the miko had a child! "His name is Shippou."

"Seven Treasures." Izayoi spoke the meaning of the name. "It's a name used by youkai mostly."

Kagome nodded, eyes on Inuyasha as he fell asleep. "Yes, I know."

Izayoi could _feel_ the sadness emanating from Kagome, and she bit her bottom lip. She could understand the pain, just the thought of being separated from Inuyasha-kun hurt her more than she could explain.

"I'm going to try and use the well again tomorrow." Kagome announced suddenly, surprising the ningen.

Izayoi was _sure_ she heard a growl coming from Sesshomaru's direction.

Apparently Kagome hadn't. "While I am enjoying it here I have a family and a son to get back to. I also have a sacred duty that I must take care of, the future depends on it. I _have_ to go."

Izayoi was silent, watching as Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, stalking away.

This wasn't good.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru watched Kagome as she held the hanyou bastard of his brother. Her eyes lit up and she giggled, walking around and having a long and apparently important conversation with the pup, whose only contribution to the whole talk was gurgles and playfully little nips at her fingers.<p>

"How will I ever be able to 'sit' you again after seeing you like this?" She cooed to the pup, who gave a cute little barking sound that made her throw her head back and laugh like he hadn't heard her laugh before.

It was beautiful.

_She_ was beautiful…

_And _she'd make a good mother.

He'd proven his superiority above Hayate (who'd had the _gall_ to look at _his_ bitch) and he'd been sure that he'd gotten the point across to his mate, that was, of course, until he'd listened into the conversation she'd had with his father's ningen bitch.

_So she's planning on leaving this Sesshomaru, is she_?

He couldn't let her do so.

Turning, he strode throughout the palace until he reached the inner gardens of his personal section of the palace. Pulling out his sword as he approached the well that would take his future mate from him before he could trick her into completing the mating ritual, Sesshomaru raised his sword, ready to destroy the Bone Eaters Well with one slash.

"Forgive me, Sesshomaru-san, but I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Pausing, Sesshomaru turned in annoyance and frowned at his father's bitch. "Who gave you permission to enter this Sesshomaru's private garden? Just because you're my father's ningen and have given him that hanyou _doesn't_ make you the lady of this house." He growled, turning on her. "My mother will _always_ be the Lady of the Western Lands."

She trembled slightly, and a sheen of tears shone in her eyes, but she lowered her head in respect. "Of course, Sesshomaru-san, I love your father but have _never_ tried to take Nami-sama's place in his heart or in this palace."

The inuyoukai frowned, giving her his back. "Then leave, ningen, this doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does, Sesshomaru-san." She spoke, surprising him at her defiance. "And it concerns Miko-sama's and your future."

He paused, turning to her once more. "Speak."

She cleared her throat nervously. "You are not of age to finish the mating bond, Sesshomaru-san." The young woman trembled when he growled at her, but she stood her ground. "Touga has spoken to me of inuyoukai mating, and I know that you are still too young to perform the last ceremony."

Sesshomaru snarled at the truthfulness in those words.

"If you destroy the well, she will die long before you come of age. She might be a miko, but she is only a ningen, not youkai. Her body ages as does that of a ningen, and what would seem like a day to you would be fifty or more human years for her."

Well, his father apparently hadn't only chosen this ningen for her looks. She had _some_ intelligence to her and had thought of something that Sesshomaru himself hadn't while under the influence of his anger and jealousy.

"And, I do not think you would ever win her over if you tore her away from her pup."

He frowned. There _was_ that. "What are you saying ningen? Are you saying that this Sesshomaru should allow his bitch to leave him and go to the future into the arms of _your bastard hanyou son_?"

She shook her head at him. "You _do_ realize, Sesshomaru-san, that if you and Miko-sama had children they would be _hanyou_?"

Sesshomaru paused. He _hadn't_ thought about that.

"And I am _not_ saying that you should leave her for Inuyasha." She spoke softly. "I'm saying, let her go see her pup, and even if the well doesn't let her see little Shippou-kun, and instead brings her here again-it would have been the well to deny her—not _you_." She paused, looking at her hands. "Plus, if it happens the way it did last time, time will have passed and you will be closer in age to finish the mating bond."

Sesshomaru watched her silently, seeing her in a different light. "You may not be completely useless, ningen."

She chuckled softly, raising her gaze and smiling at him. "I am glad you think so, Sesshomaru-san."

Sheathing his sword once more, Sesshomaru turned and walked away, feeling her following him.

He was going to have to do without his woman for a little longer, but during the little bit he still had with her, he was going to remind her who she belonged to.

* * *

><p>"Where <em>is<em> she?" Shippou whined pitifully as he looked over the side of the well, tears welling up in his eyes. He wanted his _okasan_. He'd always loved Kagome as the mother he'd lost, but ever since she'd agreed to adopt him the youkai way, exchanging blood with the kitsune, their bond had strengthened—as had his need for her.

Something strange was happening. He didn't know _what_ it was, but Miroku and Sango were acting weird, as was Inuyasha.

The other day he'd gone to say something to Sango and she'd nearly exterminated him before realizing that she _knew_ him—if it hadn't been for Kirara going against her owner's desires and fighting her until Sango remembered Shippou he'd be kitsune pancake by now.

And Miroku had _introduced_ himself to Sango just two minutes ago, asking the 'beautiful goddess' if she would bare his children. He'd truly acted as if he'd never _seen_ Sango before.

And Inuyasha? Well, Inuyasha had acted _nice_ to Shippou…that was what frightened Shippou the most.

Something was happening…and he was feeling more and more lost and alone.

He was frightened.

"Where _are_ you, okasan?" He whispered, wiping at a tear as he looked around him at the darkening night, frightened at being here all by himself when youkai had been spotted in the vicinity. "Come back soon." Wrapping his arms around himself, shaking at the sounds of the night, he gulped, looking down at the darkness in the well. "I _need_ you."

* * *

><p>Inuyasha sat atop a tree, watching Shippou from a safe distance. He knew the kit wanted to wait for Kagome to return, but Inuyasha knew of the dangers out here for a tiny kit like Shippou, so he'd decided to keep an eye out for the annoying little creature that'd somehow wormed his way into his heart during the time they'd been traveling together.<p>

Then again, Shippou was Kagome's pup, and Inuyasha would love and die protecting anything of Kagome's…even if the pup was _annoying as hell_.

The Inuhanyou was worried too. He hadn't been able to get through the well. Something was wrong, so he was staying here with Shippou until Kagome returned or they discovered what was happening.

Also, Inuyasha could understand why Shippou wouldn't want to be in the village. Something was happening. He could sense it. It was mostly affecting Sango and Miroku, but it was also affecting him.

Tidbits of memories he couldn't understand were surfacing. He could remember things that hadn't happened. He remembered his _father_ for crying out loud! He remembered himself at around Shippou's age, laughing on his father's knee as he was taught what a prince of the Western Lands should know, while Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at him and sighed, asking no one in particular how Inutaisho and Izayoi could have had such a simple-minded son.

And…and what bothered Inuyasha most was that he suddenly remembered a sudden commotion and everyone looking up as someone appeared bloodied and battered, collapsing on the ground, holding a crying bundle protectively...with a vaguely familiar neko demon at her feet.

And the blood—it smelt like Kagome's.

But that had to be impossible—right?

"OKASAN!" Shippou cried heartbrokenly down into the depths of the well. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Inuyasha sighed as he leaned against the bark of the tree, understanding Shippou's distress.

_Kagome, where are you?_

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru was up to something.<p>

Of that she was more than sure.

Keeping a suspicious eye on him, Kagome sat next to said inuyoukai at the banquet table. Inuyasha had been handed to a nursemaid and Izayoi-sama sat at Inutaisho's right hand, looking demure and graceful, and everything the Lady of the West should be.

Last night Izayoi's and Inutaisho's their mating concluded, but Kagome really couldn't see any difference. She couldn't help but wonder _what_ exactly had happened between them—except for the bouts of hot crazy sex of course.

"Miko-sama." Jaken said as he had another servant lift him up so he could refill her drink.

She still couldn't get over the fact that Jaken was treating her _with respect_. How crazy was _that_? "Thank you Jaken."

He nodded and ordered the servant to take him to Sesshomaru's side, and he refilled _his_ goblet as well. Sesshomaru ignored the toad and kept his expression bored, as if what the generals and the lords that'd come to visit were only servants and not important of his time and attention.

_Arrogant bastard_, she thought with a fond smile. Somehow, for some odd and unexplainable reason, Sesshomaru had begun to grow on her, despite his nearly _Kouga-ish_ refusal to believe that she wasn't 'his woman'.

_And yet ANOTHER death stare_, she sighed, playing with her food. It would seem that a couple of the lords had brought their daughters along to tempt Sesshomaru into an alliance, but with their target only paying attention to _her_, they were all glaring at her and obviously blaming her for the whole mess.

_It's not MY fault_, she wanted to scream at them. _HE'S the one who won't get that we are NOT destined to be together!_

"So, Miko-sama," Keiko, the daughter of the Lord of the South announced in a friendly manner, she was the only of the daughters who seemed _relieved_ that Sesshomaru wasn't paying attention to her. "How is it that you became the protégée of Lord Inutaisho? Ningen and youkai have been at war for many a century now, the fact that you are here at the royal table speaks of their respect for you."

Kagome opened her mouth to tell her that she'd saved the life of Inutaisho's first wife.

"She is my mate to be." Sesshomaru spoke for the first time since they'd sat down to eat. "And it pleased this Sesshomaru to have her with him where he could keep an eye on her and keep her out of trouble."

Her mouth fell open and she turned and glared at him. "_Who_ saved _WHOSE_ life when we first met?" She snarled, sounding very much like an inuyoukai as she glared at him.

Keiko's eyes widened as she looked over at Sesshomaru. The stories of Sesshomaru's ruthlessness were legendary, and many had died for merely _looking_ at Sesshomaru when he hadn't given them permission to do so. Surely he'd smite the ningen for speaking so disrespectfully to him—and in front of the other Lords at that!

The other daughters all smiled to themselves, glad that their competition wouldn't live long.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at Kagome. "I was a pup then, mate, but now should the need for protection arise, be assured that it will be _this Sesshomaru_ who'll protect _you_."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat at the sincerity in his eyes. She felt her cheeks flush pink and tried to break eye-contact unsuccessfully, it was if he had some sort of spell over her.

Butterflies flew in her stomach for the first time while around _Sesshomaru¸_ and she tried to convince herself that his calling her _mate_ and not _bitch_ had _nothing_ to do with it.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." She whispered before finally breaking eye contact, looking down at her nearly full plate, blush deepening at his amused chuckle.

The lords and generals nearly fell when they heard the chuckle escape Sesshomaru's lips. They all looked at each other, eyes wide, before looking at the tiny ningen miko who'd apparently tamed the killer in the feared Sesshomaru Taiyoukai.

The daughters all pouted in disappointment.

Kagome argued with herself silently. Why would she react that way to Sesshomaru? He was only her Sensei, nothing more. When she returned to the future he was probably going to _kill her_ for having made a fool of him in the past.

"It was thanks to Kagome that I was able to defeat that dragon." Inutaisho announced to something one of the generals had commented. "She is a powerful Miko, and a cunning strategist. Her advice has been most helpful."

The males turned and looked more approvingly at the young woman, who was deep in her own thoughts.

"Beauty, power and intelligence," Kyo, the son of the Lord of the East smiled at her. "Inutaisho-sama is lucky to have added such a gem to his treasure."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Kyo and growled deep in his throat as the young youkai continued to blatantly stare at an oblivious Kagome.

The daughters couldn't figure out what in the world was so _special_ about this ningen!

Izayoi smiled to herself, glad that Kagome was getting recognition from what were usually sexist demons.

So deep in her thoughts, Kagome nearly gave a cry and jerked when she felt a hand on her thigh.

Face red once more, she turned to look at Sesshomaru, whose gaze was on the general praising Inutaisho for having killed the dragon youkai Ryūkotsusei. Nothing gave away the fact that Sesshomaru's hand was now beneath the table, caressing her thigh slowly, torturing her little by little.

Had they been by themselves—or only with Inutaisho and Izayoi, Kagome would have jumped to her feet, slapped Sesshomaru with all her strength, and stomped to the well while screaming "Good Riddance!". But she wouldn't embarrass Inutaisho or Izayoi like that in front of the others…and the nearly indiscernible smirk on Sesshomaru's face proved that he knew she wouldn't do it either.

_That…THAT!_ She bit her bottom lip to keep a whimper at bay when her anger was interrupted by a sock of pleasure as he cupped her over the material of the skirt of her dress.

_What is he DOING?_ She closed her eyes when he rubbed the pad of his palm over her, causing her to jerk slightly. Sesshomaru hadn't done anything sexual to her since their 'grooming' after they'd saved Izayoi and Inuyasha, so why was he choosing to do this _now_, when the demons in the room would no doubt smell her arousal as he continued to torture her slowly?

_He's doing this on purpose_, she realized, eyes widening as she watched him glaring at the males present. _He's letting them know that I'm his and that he can affect me this way!_

_ARGH! THAT DAMN POSSESSIVE YOUKAI!_

Standing up, she smiled innocently at them. "Please excuse me, it has been a tiring day and I'm only a ningen, so I am afraid that I have to retire to my room." She _hated_ playing the 'I'm a weak helpless human' card, but with youkai it worked whenever she wanted to get out of doing something she didn't want to do.

Sesshomaru raised a disapproving eyebrow at her. "This Sesshomaru will escort you to _our_ room."

"No need!" She smiled forcefully at him. "I know the way to _our_ room" _you damned youkai, you just HAVE to let them know we share a room, DON'T you?_ "and it'd be rude for us both to leave the table." Without giving him room to argue, Kagome turned to the Lords, daughters, and generals. "Have a good night." She bowed.

They bowed their heads.

And with that, she stormed away.

_Oh Sesshomaru, I wish I could see your face when you come to our bedroom and find my things gone_.

* * *

><p>"WIND SCAR!" Inuyasha screamed and he swung Tessaiga. Sometime during the night a group of youkai had come to attack Shippou, and Inuyasha was desperately trying to protect the kit. Miroku and Sango had arrived on Kirara and were on the ground, fighting the numerous youkai, who seemed out of their mind, crazed and in some sort of induced bloodlust.<p>

Obviously Naraku was behind this attack.

"WIND TUNNEL!" Miroku called as he pulled the beads from his cursed hand, allowing it to suck up the youkai closest to him.

"GIVE US THE MIKO!" They screamed as one. "WHERE IS THE MIKO?"

"We'll _never_ give Kagome to you!" Sango promised as she continued to attack.

Shippou huddled on the mouth of the well, tiny body shaking. "_Okasan_," he whispered, terror in his eyes. "_Okasan_!"

* * *

><p>Kagome was planning something.<p>

Of that he was sure.

And Sesshomaru was nervous.

It was a disgusting human feeling, but he was unfortunately falling prey to it.

He'd known that she wouldn't like what he'd done, but those damned males had been watching her lustfully and he wouldn't allow it to continue. He'd had to stake his silent claim on her even_more_ so those disgusting lower class youkai would know that she belonged to _him_, that _he_ made her sweet, intoxicating arousal fill the air.

Kagome wouldn't understand it, she wasn't youkai, wasn't raised to understand the way they thought—and he knew that she was going to retaliate.

That's what had him nervous.

Getting up without giving the others a word of goodnight, or even a _thought_, he stormed to his rooms. Her scent filled the hallway so he was glad that she was in the room, but he couldn't help but wonder if she might have locked him out or have some other sort of punishment laid out for him.

He smirked as he opened the room door. He couldn't believe that he was actually _looking forwards_ to her punishment. Everything about Kagome made him more and more addicted to her—more and more desirous to claim her completely and make her his.

But that smirk disappeared when he entered the room and discovered that she wasn't there. A cold dread filled his heart when he saw her closet open, and her things gone.

_She __**wouldn't**_

Turning, he growled darkly, the sound reverberating in the long hallway as he took off towards his private garden. His eyes tinted pink in rage at the thought of her leaving him. It'd been hard for him to accept her leaving tomorrow—but the thought of her leaving without even giving him a _proper_ goodbye filled him with rage.

Was she _really_ so eager to return to his bastard of a brother?

Throwing the gate open, he looked up in time to see her standing on the well's mouth. "_**Ka-Go-Me**_" His voice was rough, like sandpaper, and only then did he realize that he'd transformed into his true form to get there quicker.

She looked up at him in surprise. "Sesshomaru, you should be eating still."

"_**Don't—you—dare—go!**_" Of course, to her he'd only sound like he was snarling and growling, but he couldn't calm himself enough to transform back into his humanoid form.

"I don't even have to understand what you're saying to know that you're ordering me to stay. And how _dare_ you think you can boss me around after you _humiliated me_ in front of all of those_youkai_!" She cried out, angered and hurt.

"_**Come-here-come-back**_Sesshomaru whimpered, feeling her hurt, able to _taste_ it in the air. _**Make mate understand**_, his demon ordered desperately, sensing her rejection of him.

"Goodbye, Sesshomaru." She whispered before jumping into the well, being engulfed in a shinning blue light.

Sesshomaru rushed to the well, but during the split second it took him to get there the light had vanished—and along it, so had Kagome.

Throwing his head back, Sesshomaru howled in anger and pain, before beginning a rampage that destroyed everything in his garden except for the well. No, even in his bloodlust he knew not to touch the well if he ever wanted to see his mate again.

* * *

><p>Kagome didn't have time to feel bad about leaving Sesshomaru like that. The moment she touched the bottom of the well, she heard the sounds of a battle above her.<p>

"OKASAN!" A voice cried out, and before she could react Shippou had jumped down into her arms, burying his face in her chest, crying terrified. "They're everywhere! Tons of youkai! Where were you?"

"Shh, Shippou. I wouldn't leave you, you know that." Hugging him, she kissed the top of his head before putting him down. "Stay here." She ordered, and was about to begin climbing out of the well when Kirara dove down for her, scooping her up and flying her outside.

"Thanks Kirara." Kagome smiled as she readied an arrow on the bow and let it fly, purifying a good number of youkai.

"Kagome!" Sango cried out in relief that she was alright, before returning to her fight.

"Kagome-sama, you are alright! Thank Buddha!" Miroku exclaimed, eyes never leaving his attackers. "WIND TUNNEL!"

"FINALLY WENCH!" Inuyasha swung Tessaiga, slicing off arms and heads. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO DAMNED LONG?"

"I missed you too Inuyasha," she giggled, letting another arrow fly.

With her purification powers the battle was on their side now, and soon they were rapidly killing off their enemies.

"FOX FIRE!" She heard a cry behind her, and turned in time to see the youkai creeping up on her that Shippou had noticed and tried to shoo with his kitsune attack.

"Shippou, stay back! You could get hurt!" She ordered, shooting at the offending youkai. A scream escaped her lips as another grabbed her arm and pulled her off of the well and into the bodies below.

"OKASAN!" Shippou screamed, about to jump in after her when Kirara dove and caught him by the scruff of his neck, swinging him around so that he was sitting on her back.

A scream tore from her body as the youkai descended on her, tearing the bottle from her neck only to discover that the shards were gone.

"SHE MUST HAVE FUSED THEM WITH HER BODY!" One announced, and just like _that_ they pounced on her, tearing at her skin with their sharp, merciless claws.

"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU BASTARDS!" Inuyasha's voice could be heard saying. "WIND SC-!"

"NO INUYASHA!" Miroku screamed out. "YOU MIGHT HURT KAGOME-SAMA!"

Her screams filled the air as her friends tried to battle those around her, but the youkai ignored them, concentrating at tearing her skin, searching for the damned shards.

Suddenly there was heat, and the youkai screamed. Kagome felt herself being raised and noticed that Kirara had a hold of the front of her shirt, and had flown her back to the well.

"TASTE THIS YOU BASTARDS!" Inuyasha screamed in anger as he saw the bloody state Kagome was in. "WIND SCAR!"

"WIND TUNNEL!"

"OKASAN!" Shippou jumped off of a hovering Kirara into his mother's arms, in time for her knees to buckle beneath her and for her to fall into the well. Kirara dove to try and catch her before she fell, and the three of them disappeared in a burst of light.

* * *

><p>Kagome groaned, pain filling her body as she looked around. Shippou was crying against her, hugging her tightly, and Kirara was in her miniature form, licking at her wounds, trying her best to stop the blood flow.<p>

"Where am I?"

"Okasan!" Shippou sniffled, eyes red from his tears. "You're alive!"

Kirara meowed, looking up from where she'd been licking Kagome's blood-covered arm.

Wincing in pain, Kagome looked up above. Everything was silent. "Kirara," she whispered to the neko youkai. "Could you get us out?"

Transforming in a burst of flames, Kirara knelt so they could get on, and flew them out…into Sesshomaru's private garden—which looked like it'd gone through a drastic make-over.

"Okasan? Where _are_ we? Is this your time?" Shippou asked, clinging to his mother as they got off of Kirara and the neko transformed back into her smaller version.

"No Shippou-chan." Kagome whispered as she began to walk out of the garden. "This is actually further back in time." Trying to ignore the agony her body was in, Kagome walked through Sesshomaru's private wing. "Kirara. Can you smell Sesshomaru?"

Shippou went still in her arms at that name.

The neko nodded.

"Please take us to him." Kagome whimpered, closing her eyes as the world threatened to go dark. _A little more, please, a little more_.

The sound of laughter caught her attention and she followed Kirara, who suddenly transformed, and in her bigger state, threw the doors open before turning small again and looking up worriedly at Kagome.

The last thing Kagome saw before she gave into the darkness and collapsed on the ground was a young Inuyasha sitting on Inutaisho's knee, a screaming Izayoi, and Sesshomaru getting up, rushing towards her.

* * *

><p>"Okasan's not going to die, is she?" The little kitsune whimpered as he sat next to Kagome on the ridiculously large bed. The neko demon that was obviously Kagome's familiar laid on one of the pillows, large, worried eyes on her mistress.<p>

"No, she's not going to die." Izayoi smiled tenderly at the little boy. "Your mother is very injured though, and will need a lot of time to recuperate."

"What _happened_ to her?" The small Inuyasha asked. He was around Shippou's age, and wide-eyed at the horribly scratched female lying lifelessly on the bed. "Who would _do_ that to a _girl_?"

"Youkai." The kitsune spat in anger, raising one of Kagome's arms and curling up on her chest, pulling her arm over him. "Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku tried to save her, but there were too many, and none could use their attacks for fear of hurting her."

"My name is Inuyasha too!" The young Inuyasha announced excitedly.

"Why would they do this to Kagome?" Inutaisho asked, his voice an angered growl, ignoring his young pup.

The kitsune opened his mouth to answer before he shut it and glared at them suspiciously, eyes angry slits. "I'm not going to say _why_. I don't know you! How do I know that you won't hurt my Okasan when you know?"

The neko youkai sensed the tension and stood, growling menacingly.

"Where was _I_?" A strained voice asked.

Kagome's kit looked up at Sesshomaru, gulping, obviously nervous. "You weren't there."

"_Why_?" There was a storm raging in that one word. "_Why_ wasn't I there to protect her?"

The kitsune looked surprised at the question, and looked at his mother to Sesshomaru, whose bangs fell into his face, shadowing his expression from them. "I—I don't know, Sesshomaru-sama."

"I _promised_ her that when she was in need I would protect her!" Sesshomaru suddenly lashed out, his claws tearing all in front of him, eyes blood red in his anger.

Shippou whimpered, burying his face into his mother's chest, shaking in terror at the youkai fighting bloodlust.

Kirara continued to growl, knowing that she couldn't fight Sesshomaru and win, but willing to do so to protect Kagome and Shippou.

Inuyasha gasped, never having seen his composed brother this way.

Izayoi held her son to her and looked up at Inutaisho, silently asking him to do _something_.

Inutaisho didn't take his eyes off of his eldest son. "Sesshomaru, get a _hold_ of yourself! You aren't helping Kagome, only frightening her kit!"

That seemed to calm Sesshomaru, and he slumped against the wall in defeat, eyes turning from blood red to pink and finally normal once more.

"She's a powerful miko, she'll heal soon." Izayoi told Sesshomaru. "All she needs to do is to rest."

Sesshomaru looked up at Izayoi with gratitude.

Inutaisho nodded in agreement. "I know it's hard for you to see her like _this_ after all these centuries, but you need to be calm, both for her sake and for her kit's."

Shippou peeked an eye open, glad that the blood lust had ended.

Inutaisho, Izayoi and Inuyasha left, leaving a silent Sesshomaru and an anxious kitsune and neko. The small kit tensed when Sesshomaru pushed away from the wall and headed towards the bed, lifting the sheets.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Shippou tried to look brave, yet Sesshomaru could smell his fear.

"Fear not, kit, this Sesshomaru wouldn't hurt your mother." He whispered, before slipping into the bed and turning on his side so he could look at Kagome better. The inuyoukai hesitantly raised his hand and tenderly brushed away a strand of hair from her face. "Kit, your father is a Kitsune youkai."

"H-hai." Shippou nodded, deciding that since Kirara had calmed down and was curled on Kagome's feet, that Sesshomaru was telling the truth and not about to hurt his Okasan.

"Is he alive?"

"No." Shippou whispered, wondering why the Lord of the Western Lands would want to know _that_. "He was murdered by the Thunder Brothers."

Sesshomaru was silent, his eyes never leaving Kagome's face, as if hungry for the sight of her.

Shippou, curled on her chest, watched the younger version of Lord Sesshomaru. He looked like he was twenty one, which was younger than what he looked like in the future.

The kitsune couldn't understand what was going on. Why was Lord Inutaisho still alive? And why was there a hanyou here living in the palace by the name of Inuyasha? Hadn't Inuyasha lived on his own when growing up?

"You're a lot older in the future." Shippou stated the obvious, in a soft, sleepy voice.

Sesshomaru made a noise that sounded suspiciously like an amused scoff. "Sleep kit. I will watch over your mother and you. Nothing will happen to her now that I am here."

Shippou wondered _why_ Sesshomaru was so worried about his Okasan, but he _was_ sleepy, so he didn't think _too much_ about it. "Sesshomaru-sama?" he yawned, closing his eyes. "I like you a lot better now than the you in the future."

Sesshomaru was amused by this kit of Kagome's. He'd always worried that he'd be jealous of the kit and have to keep himself from murdering him for taking up Kagome's time and attention, but the inuyoukai found himself entertained by the young child. "Is that so?"

The only answer he got was a little snore as the kitsune drifted off into sleep amazingly quick.

_Well, at least I won't have to kill his father. I don't think that Kagome would have been very happy with me if I had._

He looked at the human he was determined to make his mate, wondering how long had passed in her time. She looked older than the last time he'd seen her. She'd grown into a ningen _woman_, not a girl anymore.

Sesshomaru frowned, wondering if she'd been courted by another, but he couldn't smell any scent marking other than his own, and that left him satisfied for now.

He eyed her kit and the neko. He normally didn't like cats, but the neko was obviously her protector so he'd allow her to stay.

Sesshomaru also wondered how Kagome had managed to give birth to a full youkai. He could smell her on him, could smell the kit on her, and not just the scent of having spent time together. No, her scent was imprinted on the kit, marking the child as her own in a way that only true mothers , the love the kit had for her was pure devotion.

Sesshomaru noticed for the first time the markings on Kagome's inner palms—the signs of a bred mother when she touched her offspring. It held a calming effect on the kit, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but shake his head, even when she was unconscious his mate was looking out for her kit.

_At least Inuyasha will have company and stop bothering me. The brat._

Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru curled around Kagome, enjoying her scent—which he'd missed all these centuries.

_Kagome_…he sighed. _**Mate home**_.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	4. While You Were Asleep

_A/N: Everyone wanted to know why Kagome had aged—she really hasn't. Remember that at the beginning of the story she was 19 and then for some reason she became 15 again? Well, now that Sesshomaru is older the well allowed her to go back to her real age—which is why she looks 'older' to Sesshomaru._

* * *

><p><strong>(Present)<strong>

In the middle of the dark dungeons, the Inuyoukai stood bloody and beaten, yet even when in the magically charged chains that kept him weak and in his humanoid form, body marred by the torture he'd endured silently, Sesshomaru looked just as deadly and elegant as ever.

"I see our little Miko returned from that well of hers." Naraku announced to himself after looking into Kanna's mirror. He was weaker, so weak it was _disgusting_, but somehow he'd had Kagura trap Sesshomaru in the chains a witch he'd hired had made especially to retain inuyoukai, before he'd lost his powers. "And she returned right in time to meet the _friends_ I sent to her."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed for a split second, yet other than that he didn't show any reaction to the words.

"Her shards were gone as well." The hanyou whispered, speaking to himself. "I wonder-I wonder?"

Sesshomaru was silent. Had the hanyou lost his shards of the Shikon No Tama? _How_? And where were Kagome's? Was that damned stubborn and problematic ningen okay? Had his bastard brother kept her safe?

"They tore her half open and yet…"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists in anger. He hadn't been there. How in the world had he allowed a filthy little wind demon trap _him_ and make him, the GREAT Sesshomaru of the WEST, _useless_? How could his mate-no matter how stubborn and irritating she could be-get hurt?

His demon fought within him. _**Mate hurt. Unworthy protector. Mate hurt. Must—find—mate—must—make—better**_.

When his demon had recognized the ningen as his mate it'd taken Sesshomaru _a LONG_ time to accept it. He'd tried killing her a couple of times because if she were dead she couldn't be his mate, but he hadn't only been fighting her and his bastard of a brother—he'd been fighting _his own demon_. Although he and his demon were one, it'd gone against him during those battles, snarling at him for trying to spill the blood of the one whom he was made to cherish and protect.

After a while Sesshomaru decided to change tactics. Instead of trying to kill the ningen he'd taken to following her and observing her in secret. The Taiyoukai had been sure that he'd find so many offensive things about the ningen he'd somehow convince his demon that it'd been wrong—that there was _no way_ a creature as _vile_ and _disgusting_ and _beneath him_ could be destined to be his mate!

The only problem with that plan was that the longer Sesshomaru watched the miko, the longer his demon began convincing _him_ instead of the other way around.

And he'd hated the admiration he'd begun feeling for the miko as she kept her ragtag team together, fought demons, purified shards, took care of her adopted kitsune—kept the Exterminator from_exterminating_ the hentai houshi, and somehow managed to control Inuyasha both in his hanyou, ningen, and youkai forms.

How could a mere _ningen_ do all of this?

And little by little he'd grown to respect her—hating that she could inspire such a rare feeling within him.

He'd hit record low when, during one of the idiot wolf's visits, Sesshomaru, the _great_ LORD OF THE WESTERN LANDS had felt his first drastic emotion since the rage and hopelessness he'd felt as a pup when his mother (who'd been horribly wounded from an attack by a horde of youkai) had died, _tortured_, by some humans who'd stumbled across her dying form.

He'd been ordered to hide in the bushes and not to intervene when the smell of ningen stench had reached their noses, but he'd stormed out and tried to help his mother. A mere pup at the time, the many humans beat him to near unconsciousness, and the screams of his dying mother never left his ears. If it hadn't been for his father arriving and rescuing him, Sesshomaru would have died that day as well.

"I hope they didn't kill her," Naraku told Kanna, who looked up at him expressionless as always. "If things are as I think they are, then I will have need for her to be alive."

"What are you planning _now_ Naraku?" Kagura spat out disgusted as she leaned against the wall. "I'd have thought that you would have gotten tired of Inuyasha beating you and ruining your plans time and time again by now."

"I wouldn't be so mouthy with the one who holds your heart, _Kagura_." Naraku hissed out, lashing out with a tentacle, slapping her so hard she fell to the ground with a cry of pain.

Sesshomaru nearly smirked.

Good. The bitch deserved that for keeping him from his mate.

_**Mate hurt…should have…must have…mate…need us.**_

Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru remembered the day he'd accepted that the miko was to be his mate. Years had passed since his struggle with his demon had begun, and he'd sacrificed his pride by allying with his bastard brother to be able to have a reason to be close to the ningen.

His demon had been furious with him for the long wait—and because during those year his mate had developed obvious feelings for his brother-feelings that were returned by the hanyou.

Obviously going up to the ningen and informing her of her status as his mate was out of the question, but that didn't mean that he was going to let any other youkai or hanyou think they could claim her as his-so he'd told her he'd teach her to fight so she wouldn't be such a burden on the team. And while he _did_ want his mate to be able to protect herself if he weren't around, he truly used their training sessions to imprint his scent in hers, scent marking her as his.

"As soon as the miko returns-if she does-I want her brought to me." Naraku ordered Kagura, as the demoness picked herself up from the floor, wiping at the thin trail of blood oozing from her popped lip.

Sesshomaru somehow kept his rage from showing when he heard this. It wouldn't do for Naraku to know his feelings for Kagome. For some reason Naraku nor his minions (nor Inuyasha for that matter) had been able to sense his claim on Kagome, and he preferred to keep it like that for right now.

_**Must escape…kill hanyou…protect mate**_.

Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru remembered the odd memory-like dreams he'd been having of Kagome in his past. It didn't make any sense—but the images were what kept him sane while here at the insane hanyou's hands.

* * *

><p><strong>( Past)<strong>

"Look! Her eyes moved behind the lids again! Papa says that that's the first sign of one regaining consciousness." A hyper, squeakier sounding version of Inuyasha's voice announced with excitement.

"It could also mean she is experiencing lucid dreams, you baka." Sesshomaru sniffed in tired annoyance somewhere to her right. "Stop getting the kit's hopes up. It could be _weeks_ before she regains consciousness."

"Hey! Mother says I'm _smart_!" Inuyasha exclaimed, clearly insulted by his brother's earlier comment.

"How my father and Izayoi-san could have had you, Inuyasha no baka, is a mystery." His elder brother said in a flat voice.

"I am _not_ a baka!"

"Yes, you are-_unfortunately_, Otouto. Not only did you have to be a hanyou, but you ended up being a _hanyou baka_ on top of everything. How much more shame can the Western Lands take?"

"MOMMY!" Inuyasha wailed. "ANIKI IS BEING MEAN AGAIN!"

"SHHHHH!" Shippou's voice finally broke in, sounding irritated with both brothers. "My Okasan needs to _rest_!"

Kirara purred in agreement from where she was curled by Kagome's head on the pillow.

"Gomen." Inuyasha mumbled before perking up once more. "What is that glowy-thingy that surrounds her every morning and burns us if we touch her?"

"That is her miko aura healing her." Sesshomaru answered in a 'do I have to explain EVERYTHING to you?' voice. "We're demon, so when her pure aura comes in contact with us it wants to purify us."

"But Shippou's a youkai as well! Why can _he_ still touch her when she'd _glowing_?" Inuyasha sounded put out.

"He's her kit, her body recognizes that, as does her aura." Came Sesshomaru's sigh. It was obvious that he'd resigned himself to answering his little brother's many questions. "It will never harm him because he is a part of her."

"Oh." Inuyasha whispered.

Kirara continued to purr, eyes closed, tails twitching slightly.

"We've been here for a week now, why won't okasan wake up?" Shippou sniffed. "I want my okasan!"

"Don't cry." Inuyasha told him. "Only girls and ningen cry."

"Hush Inuyasha." Sesshomaru ordered.

"But _Aniki_!" Inuyasha exclaimed in surprise. "That's what _you_ tell _me_ whenever I'm going to cry!"

Izayoi stood with her back against the wall, listening in to the conversation going on in Sesshomaru's room.

Ever since Kagome had arrived nearly torn apart a week ago, Shippou and Sesshomaru had taken to spending the days by her side despite the fact that she was unconscious. Inuyasha, who adored his aloof elder brother, stayed with them, and was apparently somewhat jealous of Sesshomaru's treatment of the distraught kitsune.

Then again, the kit had a reason to be so traumatized.

Closing her eyes, Izayoi took in a deep breath, trying to keep back the memory of Kagome's bloody, torn flesh.

_Oh miko-sama, why would youkai DO that to you in your time?_

Oh, it wasn't that Izayoi didn't understand the hatred youkai had for humans. She did—and only too well.

Hadn't she been victim of that same thing? Hadn't she been murdered when Inuyasha was still a pup by a bat youkai who'd tried throwing herself at Touga and had been viciously turned down? Sometimes Izayoi still had nightmares of the pain of her death, sometimes phantom pains haunted her, and although the bat youkai had been killed by Touga in bloodlust, didn't the night still frighten her to some extent?

The only good thing she could recall was the blissfulness of death.

Yet that hadn't lasted long. Touga had had a witch bring her back to life and match her lifespan with his—for he hadn't been able to survive without her. Izayoi had feared that she'd be a mere copy of who she'd once been—but Touga had saved her soul in a crystal—the crystal she now wore around her neck—and thanks to that she was herself—and not the emotionless creatures those brought back to life were known to be.

_Miko-sama…I hope you awaken soon. Your kit needs you-as does Sesshomaru_.

* * *

><p><strong>(Present)<strong>

Inuyasha held his hands to his head as the pain grew. Images rushed through his mind that he couldn't understand. Falling to his knees he whimpered at the agony, wondering if this was the work of Naraku, but if it was—what would he gain by giving him these memories?

Why was he having memories of Kagome? In his _past_? Why was he remembering—every day bringing a new memory—of his childhood-_in the WESTERN LANDS?_ What sort of whacked up world would have Kagome and _Sesshomaru_ together?

_What is Naraku DOING to me?_

And where was Kagome? How was she? Why had the well let Kirara and Shippou through, but when Inuyasha himself tried to get through to see how she was it wouldn't let him go through any longer?

Was she—was she _dead_?

_NO! NO! _His Kagome couldn't be dead! Not like this-not like Kikyou! He—he hadn't even told her he loved her. That while he wanted to avenge Kikyou's death because he felt guilty-he couldn't live without Kagome-the only woman who'd _truly_ loved him-human-hanyou-youkai.

So filled with pain, the hanyou didn't notice the pink wave that suddenly enveloped the land before disappearing, changing things drastically in their lives.

"Inuyasha-sama, are you feeling well?"

Inuyasha looked up to see Miroku looking at him, worry on his face. "I'm fine." He _wasn't_ fine, but wasn't about to admit that to the houshi. "Feh, I'm _great_."

The monk raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing him but choosing not to comment on it any further. "When will we be off again, Inuyasha-sama?"

His head was still killing him, so the hanyou didn't notice the suffix to his name. "I want to stay here by the well, I need to be here for when Kagome comes back."

Miroku nodded. "I worry about Kagome-sama as well. She was hurt badly by those youkai." Anger filled his face before he pushed it away. "Why would they have attacked her with such ferocity?"

"For the _shards_ you hentai baka!" Inuyasha growled in irritation. "I'm going to have to tell Sango to stop giving you so many licks with that boomerang of hers. It's leaving you more of an idiot than you were when we first met you!"

"_Shards_?" Miroku asked, confusion written all over his face. "What shards would Kagome-sama have that'd send those youkai into such a craze?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. Was the monk playing around or did he really not remember the shards of the Shikon No Tama?

"And, who is _Sango_?" Miroku asked, causing Inuyasha to nearly fall over.

"Are you _insane_ houshi?" Inuyasha asked. "Sango's the Demon Exterminator whose ass you can't keep your hentai away from? The one you frequently ask to bare your child? The—according to Kagome—love of your life?"

Miroku blushed. "Kagome-sama believes I love this—this—_Sango_ person?"

Inuyasha couldn't believe it. He was absolutely speechless for once in his life.

"Wait—wait-. _Sango_, _now_ I know why the name sounded so familiar!" The monk exclaimed. "Isn't she the Demon Slayer who tried to exterminate you when we were passing her village?"

"YES!" Inuyasha breathed out a sigh of relief. For a moment he'd thought-.

"Good thing Kagome-sama spoke to her, her little brother and the other village Elders and convinced them that you weren't our kidnapper and that you weren't a crazed youkai to be exterminated." The monk announced thoughtfully before raising an eyebrow at Inuyasha. "Why would she be the love of my life? I only met her briefly once, and she spent the whole time insulting me for being a monk who travels with a demon and letting Kagome-sama travel with you as well." He frowned. "And since _when_ do I ask anyone to bare my children?"

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat in horror. What the _hell_ was _happening_?

* * *

><p><strong>(Past)<strong>

Shippou was confused.

He sat next to his mother's unconscious form, chewing on the cheese sandwich one of the servants had brought to him by Sesshomaru's commands.

The kit didn't understand a lot that was going on, but what he _did_ understand confused him even more. Somehow they were in the past and his okasan had somehow changed some things—like Inuyasha's parents being alive and his living in the Western Lands as the prince, instead of village and village being hurt and degraded by those he came into contact with.

_Still as annoying as ever though_.

And, for some reason, Sesshomaru, the Lord of the Western lands, wasn't leaving his okasan's side. And while he wasn't the most emotionally adept being, he was _drastically_ different from the Sesshomaru Shippou knew.

And what was this he'd heard being whispered by some maids about his okasan being Sesshomaru's _mate_?

That _had_ to be a mistake—right?

Sharing a piece of his sandwich with Kirara, the kitsune dared shoot an uneasy glance in the silent inuyoukai's direction. Some demons were known to kill a female's pup to force her into heat and make her ready for mating once more.

Shippou couldn't help but gulp, a hand around his suddenly dry throat.

_No, he's just taking care of Okasan. He isn't—he doesn't-no!_

For his own peace of mind the tiny fox kitsune kept that broken mantra going on and on in his head. He didn't want to acknowledge the worry in Sesshomaru's normally emotionless face, or the way he tenderly took care of Kagome, _or_ the flash of jealousy in his eyes when he'd realized that Kagome's miko aura accepted Shippou yet whipped out against him.

No, for his own peace of mind, the kit ignored all the signs that pointed to the fact that his okasan was _indeed_ the prospective mate of the intimidating future Lord of the West.

* * *

><p><strong>(Present)<strong>

Kikyou was worried.

Dressed in her miko garb, she pulled back a strand of white hair. Old age hadn't been playing fair with her lately, and her knees were killing her, but with the helpful grandchildren she had to help her she really didn't have much to complain about—except for the knees of course.

"Ye need to pay more attention!" Kaede, her younger yet not _young_ sister, scolded one of her grandchildren.

Kaede and Kikyou were the mikos of their village, but with their old age they would soon have to give their position to one (or two!) of their granddaughters—the problem was that none of their grandchildren had any promise or talent.

The only good thing was Inuyasha. When she'd met him fifty something odd years ago, the Prince of the Western lands had made her realize that not all with demon blood were evil, and if she was to be truthful, for some years she loved him as a woman loved a man-but the hanyou hadn't returned the feelings, and cryptically told her when she'd spoken of her feelings, that together they'd only hurt the other and that it would be better for them to be friends.

And in time she agreed with him.

How could she have been a miko yet be the mate of one with demon blood? Now it would be allowed, but not in _those_ days!

Yet still, he stuck around, helping the village whenever Kaede and her weren't able to deal with the rogue youkai, hanyou or even with the creatures the sadistic and utterly _evil_ creature called_Naraku_ sent their way.

Kikyou shivered. She remembered the man he'd once been-the man who'd been burnt and nearly died when the house he'd been stealing from caught afire. Her sister had told her not to help him, that he was a criminal, but Kikyou's heart had gone out to his suffering, never realizing that he might read her actions as something else.

When once healed he'd declared his love for her, she'd suddenly realized what Inuyasha must have felt when she'd declared her love for _him_. By that time she'd married the village's blacksmith, and let Onigumo know that while she appreciated his feelings, she loved her husband.

She'd never expected him to make a pact with devils because of it-or that if it hadn't been for Inuyasha's near _miraculous_ intervention-that he'd have fooled her husband and herself into killing each other. After Inuyasha saved Neji and herself from the creature that was Naraku and his illusions, the evil hanyou hadn't reappeared in person, yet had sent out his 'puppets' (as Inuyasha and his companion and friend the monk Miroku liked to call them) and his incarnations—his children if you would.

But Naraku had been silent for a while now—and that worried Kikyou. He was planning something—but _what_?

And then there was Kagome-sama, the miko Kikyou and Kaede secretly hoped would take their place as the guardian of their village. While the younger girl was slightly apprehensive with Kikyou (maybe Inuyasha had told her about how she'd once loved him?) Kikyou took to her as a kindred spirit, and had taken her on as an apprentice of sorts, teaching her all she could, hoping that when her time to join her ancestors came, Kagome would accept her request for her to take her place in the village as resident miko.

The only thing that worried Kikyou was the Lord of the Western lands, Inuyasha's elder brother. While Inuyasha had a sort of reluctant admiration for him, Kikyou didn't trust the inuyoukai—nor did she appreciate the attentions he bestowed on Kagome.

There was obviously some history between Kagome and Sesshomaru, his familiarity with her was too disconcerting. And she allowed such familiarities-returned them-despite the fact that she obviously also had feelings for Inuyasha-feelings the hanyou returned.

And Kikyou wanted Inuyasha happy…

…and she wanted a reliable, worthy miko to guard her beloved village.

So she tried pushing the hanyou and the miko together.

But Kagome, her kit, and her neko companion had disappeared when she'd been attacked by youkai in bloodlust…and Sesshomaru had disappeared as well.

Kikyou frowned.

She _bet_ Sesshomaru had kidnapped Kagome and her son and pet to keep her with him.

_Oh, I'm not letting you win this, Sesshomaru! My village needs her! Inuyasha needs her!_

"Granny! SAKURA BROKE ANOTHER SACRED ARROW!"

"I DID NOT!"

"DID TOO!"

"DID NOT!"

"DID TOO!

"TAKE THAT BACK MAI!"

"Will ye shut up?" Kaede seemed on the brink of a nervous breakdown—or about to kill the cousins—Kikyou wasn't quite sure which.

The aged miko sighed and turned to try and break up the fight between their granddaughters and end their loud screeches.

* * *

><p><strong>(Past)<strong>

Touga frowned as he looked over the reports of his kingdom. Usually Sesshomaru would take care of this aspect of running the Western Lands, but his eldest hadn't left his room ever since his mate had been brought back.

And the Lord of the Western lands didn't blame him. He remembered with a shiver of anger and sadness when his Izayoi had been tortured and killed by that disgusting bat youkai. She'd been long taken to the underworld by the time he'd been able to reach her-so Tenseiga had been of no use to him.

He'd only left Izayoi's dead body long enough to find a witch to bring her back. And for years afterwards he'd been so frightened of losing her again he wouldn't travel out of his kingdom, sending Sesshomaru out instead. His son had been quite reluctant to do this, obviously worried that his miko would return while he was away—but thankfully that wasn't the case.

If Kagome-sama had arrived in the condition she was in, and Sesshomaru hadn't been here because of _him_ having sent him out—well—Sesshomaru would have entered into bloodlust and killed his father.

Literally.

His mate's scent reached him and he looked up, smiling when he saw Izayoi in the doorway. "How are they?"

"Other than worried, fine." She whispered, going to sit on his lap, placing her head against his chest. "Her outward injuries are gone—not a scar on any part of her body—but we don't know how she is inside—or if she will regain consciousness." She paused. "And if she _does_ wake up, how will the fight have traumatized her? It took me _years_ to get over-."

"I know." Touga whispered, pulling her protectively close. "But be sure that Sesshomaru will be there for her as I was for you."

"But we were already mates for some years when I was murdered, Touga." Izayoi whispered. "They _aren't_ mated, and she might be so terrified of youkai that she mightn't want to be _near_Sesshomaru-much less let him do the next step and claim her!"

"Izayoi, I doubt-."

"Touga! You keep forgetting that she's _human_! She was _torn open by youkai teeth and fangs_!" Izayoi jumped away from him angrily. "Do you think she'll let him bite her and perform the necessary scratches to her body?"

Touga was silent. It wasn't normal for his mate to lose her temper, and she _did_ have a point. "I will have to speak to Sesshomaru about this."

"Do that. I—if he tries to push something and she rejects him out of fear—Sesshomaru—he—just _talk_ to him Touga. And make him _understand_."

The inuyoukai nodded, standing. "I will speak to him immediately. If I don't, when she wakes up the inner demon might take over and want to claim her right there—and I don't want Kagome-sama to have to go through that fright."

"Thank you, Touga." Izayoi smiled sadly up at her mate. "And I'm sorry for snapping at you."

Touga placed a kiss on her forehead before going to find his son and have a serious talk with him.

* * *

><p><strong>(Present)<strong>

Something had just happened.

Frowning, Sesshomaru looked around him in confusion. A pink light had enveloped everyone and changed them slightly. He'd been the only one who hadn't frozen, and he watched in amazement as different things changed subtly.

What was going on?

Why was Kagura now sporting streaks of red in her hair, and smiling up adoring at Naraku?

Why was Kanna's face showing disgust as she watched her sister's expression while watching Naraku?

Something wasn't right.

The light disappeared and the others unfroze.

"—and I want you to speak to that witch about the spell I've ordered her to do for me." Naraku finished the sentence he'd begun before the light froze everyone as if he hadn't been interrupted. He didn't seem the least bit surprised by the fact that his eldest incarnation had suddenly gotten a makeover or that his youngest could now show emotions on her face.

"Of _course_, Naraku-sama." Kagura sighed dreamily, giving him an adoring smile. "Is there anything else my lord and master wishes for me to do?"

Kanna looked away, disgust deepening on her face.

"And whenever that miko returns, I want you to bring her to me."

Sesshomaru frowned, hadn't Naraku just said that before?

"Which miko?" Kagura asked, jealousy etched in her words. "The one who travels with _this one's_ brother?"

Sesshomaru growled at the disrespect.

"Yes." Naraku nodded. "I have only seen her once or twice, but there is something that intrigues me about that miko."

Kagura pouted yet her words were spoken with utter respect. "As you wish, my master."

Sesshomaru frowned at Naraku's last comment. What game was Naraku playing? He'd been fighting against Inuyasha for _years_! He'd tried killing Kagome on countless opportunities! Why was he suddenly acting as if he didn't know who she was?

Something was happening…

…and Sesshomaru didn't like it one bit.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	5. A Kitsune's Tears and Technicalities

_A/N: very little Sesshomaru/Kagome serious thingies in this chapter, but will try make it more in the next chapter. Hope you like it!_

* * *

><p>It was yet another week before Kagome awoke.<p>

Sesshomaru caught Shippou by the scruff of his neck before the child could throw himself on his mother. The kit complained and tried to wriggle away, but the inuyoukai had a good hold on him and only looked at Kagome in silence, an unnamable expression in his beautiful golden eyes.

Kagome looked up at him silently as well, not saying a word, yet it would seem whole paragraphs were being said in her eyes.

Shippou stopped wriggling around and frowned in confusion, looking from Sesshomaru to his okasan and back. Why were they looking at each other like that?

Inuyasha gasped as he entered the room and got a good look at the pretty lady he'd heard so much about and had seen unconscious for the last couple of weeks. He blinked, seeing her in a suddenly different light.

Awake, with her blue eyes twinkling and a small smile on her face-she was _breathtaking_.

But her eyes were all for his brother.

"Sesshomaru…" She whispered, surprising everyone by throwing her self out of the bed and at said inuyoukai, flinging her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. "I _knew_ you'd take care of me."

Pain and guilt crossed those golden eyes before Sesshomaru placed her son on her shoulder and then hugged her tightly to him. Closing his eyes he leaned his cheek against the top of her head and breathed in her scent, trying to calm down his youkai.

Why wasn't she angry with him for failing her?

She should be furious—should _shun_ him—she had every right to! He'd told her that he'd take care of her and for some reason he'd broken his vow to his mate. Many had repudiated their mates for less than this, but Kagome hadn't.

Why did she have so much faith in him when he clearly wasn't a worthy protector?

His ningen relaxed in his hold, as if the feel of him, the scent of his skin, were as calming for her and hers were to him, and Sesshomaru didn't care _why_ she was still accepting of his presence, he was just damn happy she _was_.

Shippou sat on his okasan's shoulder and looked at Sesshomaru and Kagome in dismay. He couldn't delude himself any longer. There was _definitely_ something going on between her and the heir of the Western Lands.

The kit turned to look at Inuyasha from where he was frozen in the doorway. The Chibi version of the hanyou he knew _oh so well_ didn't seem to be taking the situation half as bad as his older self would have, but still there was a deep scowl on his face as he watched Kagome and Sesshomaru.

Frowning darker, Shippou yelped in surprise when Kagome pulled back from Sesshomaru and reached for him, pulling him from her shoulder to her chest before showering him with kisses.

Childlike pride filled Shippou as he heard her thanking him for protecting her, and guarding her while she was 'sleeping'. Usually, most boys would be horrified for their mother to be smothering their faces with kisses and proclaiming their love for them while they were in public, but he'd been an orphan for so long Shippou _starved_ for the attention Kagome gave him.

"I was worried about you, okasan." He whispered, hugging her around her neck tightly, tears springing to his eyes as he buried his face in her chest. "I thought I was going to lose you like I did-."

_…my father_…

Those words didn't need to be said for everyone in the room to know what he'd been about to say.

"Oh _Shippou_." Kagome whispered, closing her eyes and letting the sound of her heart calm her kit, her palms glowing slightly as their connection allowed her miko powers to soothe him. "I'm never leaving you—I'd rather die."

Shippou risked a peek at Sesshomaru and was surprised to see the inuyoukai watching them, deep in thought. "Sesshomaru-sama s-s-said that he would take care of us."

"Of course he would take care of us." Kagome nodded absentmindedly, stroking his hair, working her soothing magic on him. "No one touches a protégé of the Western Lands and gets away with it." She suddenly noticed the neko demon on the bed. "Kirara!"

The cat purred and gave a little welcoming mew.

Shippou noticed the dog demon's eyes turn to him contemplatively, as if waiting to see where the protective pup was taking this conversation.

Shippou kept his eyes on Sesshomaru. "I—I heard someone saying you were his m-mate, and I thought he was going to kill me to force you into h-heat. B-but he told me that I was your kit, and it would be dishonorable to harm what was now his 'by right of association'." The kit paused and turned to his mother, making up his face in consternation. "Okasan, what does that _mean_?"

Kagome's body jerked and she turned to look at the inuyoukai in surprise and slight horror. "You _said_ that to him?"

Sesshomaru seemed surprised at her reaction for a second before straightening and his mask of stoic emotionless returned before speaking. "It is the truth."

"Shippou is _not_ yours!" the kit's okasan stomped her foot. "He's _mine_!"

"And _you_ are _mine_." Sesshomaru stressed the last word, obviously savoring it, before continuing. "You are mine," he repeated. "Thus your kit is mine as well. He cannot be the _heir_ of this Sesshomaru, but he is my pup nonetheless."

Shippou's eyes widened like saucers as he tried to digest this information.

Apparently Kagome's shock was just as great as his own. "_Yo—yo—you_!" It seemed anger was beginning to win over shock. "I am _NOT_ your mate! Shippou is _NOT_ your pup! We are _NOT YOURS!_ Get it through your thick skull!"

Shippou's eyes widened, yet this time in horror, fear filling his every being, causing him to curl up into his mother.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he took a step towards them.

Shippou flung himself from his mother to Sesshomaru's feet. "Please, Sesshomaru-sama! Don't hurt her! Please!" Tears filled his eyes as he clung to the inuyoukai's feet, believing that if he held on tight enough he wouldn't be able to be kicked away. "I—I beg, don't hurt—_please_!"

"_Shippou_…" Kagome's voice was heart-broken as she went to her knees and tried to pull him away from Sesshomaru, but he held onto the elder youkai with all his might.

Inuyasha turned on his heels and raced away to find his parents and bring them just in case Sesshomaru _did_ do something he'd regret later.

"She didn't mean to be disrespectful!" Shippou continued to try and plead for his mother's life. "Don't kill her—_please_!"

"What sort of creature is this Sesshomaru in the future to have a mere child terrified of him?" Sesshomaru's voice was soft, with a tinge of self-hatred tainting it.

Shippou froze in surprise and sniffled, loosening his hold on Sesshomaru's legs so his okasan could pull him away. Burrowing into her, little heart beating rapidly in terror, knowing that his fear was stinking up the room, the kitsune looked up from his silently crying okasan to a silent Sesshomaru.

So Sesshomaru _wasn't_ going to kill his okasan for her disrespect?

"What sort of creature _was_ I?" That question seemed directed at his okasan, so Shippou just buried his face in her shirt, letting his body tremble with the residue of his terror, allowing her to try soothing him once more. "Is that why we weren't mated when you came to me? Am I a monster? Is that why you won't have me?"

The kit didn't understand the pain in Sesshomaru's voice, but it calmed him just as much as his mother's touch did. Something in that voice told him that Sesshomaru felt something for his okasan, and he wouldn't hurt her—or Shippou.

"You didn't lie." There was a pause. "This Sesshomaru _did_ try to kill you in the future." His voice was soft.

And what _had_ 'mine by association' meant _anyway_?

Obviously it meant Kagome could talk to Sesshomaru the way she did with Inuyasha—without the Beads of Subjugation, and that Shippou wasn't going to be killed for touching him when he'd begged for her life.

But it had a deeper meaning, didn't it?

And what had he meant by being 'his pup'?

He wasn't even a 'pup'. He was a kit!

None of this made any sense to the traumatized child as his mother's pure power entered his system slowly, calming him despite his better judgment. He never thought of how rare it was for his demonic aura to accept her pure one, or why her miko powers accepted him as part of her.

Or thought of what this could be doing to his body or his demonic aura.

"You weren't—_aren't—_a monster, Sesshomaru." Kagome said in a soft voice. "And while you _did_ try to kill me a couple of times in the future, I don't think you're heart was in it." She sniffled and giggled at the same time, which was something only his okasan could do. "Let's face it, if you'd really wanted to kill me, Inuyasha wouldn't have been able to protect me as easily as he had."

Shippou dried his tears, watching the tension between his okasan and a completely repentant Sesshomaru with unveiled interest.

"I will protect you now." Sesshomaru told her, eyes serious. Those eyes shifted to Shippou, softening slightly before returning to severity. "This Sesshomaru will protect both you and your kit. Both of you are mine now. I protect what is mine."

Shippou sensed his mother's hesitation, her reluctance, and surprisingly enough, her desire to actually accept what Sesshomaru Taiyoukai offered.

"You may protect us while we are here." She finally conceded in a soft voice.

Sesshomaru's expression proved that he wasn't happy with that answer but would accept it for now.

"Miko-sama!" Everyone turned to see Izayoi hurling herself at Kagome.

Shippou jumped clear out of Kagome's arms right in time for Izayoi to throw her arms around the younger woman, hugging her and sniffling, saying how happy she was that she was awake and well.

The kit suddenly realized that he'd landed on Sesshomaru's shoulder, and he went stiff all over.

Sesshomaru was stiff as well, before he obviously forced himself to relax, eyes on Kagome as she smiled at Izayoi in surprise, asking her quite tactlessly how in the world she was still alive after all of these centuries.

He placed a hand on Shippou's feet to keep the kit from jumping away. "I am not used to this, kit, and I will not lie and say that this is a comfortable situation for me. It is just as unnerving and uncomfortable for me as it is for you, and I believe you share my desire to keep your okasan to yourself and not share."

Shippou gulped. Here it was. The threat delivered while his mother was too busy to notice.

"But you are now the pup of this Sesshomaru and you will be treated as thus, no matter how awkward it may. I will protect you with my life if need be, so fear me not."

Shippou blinked and looked down at Sesshomaru, but the inuyoukai's eyes were only for Kagome. The kitsune recognized the look in Sesshomaru's eyes, it was the same one in Inuyasha's eyes when he thought Kagome didn't notice him looking at her.

Did—did Sesshomaru _love_ his okasan?

Confused, the kit relaxed without even knowing it, remaining perched on Sesshomaru's shoulder, hand grabbing the collar of the youkai's collar to help him keep his balance.

How more confusing could things get for a small kitsune child?

* * *

><p>Lunch was an odd occasion indeed.<p>

Izayoi watched in unveiled fascination as Inuyasha and Shippou-kun fought like little brothers do, both arguing that _their_ mother was the most beautiful woman alive.

Considering that Inuyasha's mother was _technically_ dead, and Shippou mother _technically_ hadn't even been born yet, the Lady of the Western Lands realized that _technically NEITHER_ Kagome or her were the 'most beautiful woman _alive_', but decided to keep that to herself as to not upset the squabbling children.

Izayoi was so happy that this time Kagome had been able to return with her son. Not only would she not miss her kit and leave so soon, but Inuyasha would have a companion of around his age with whom he could play with…

…or argue with, which was what the kit and hanyou seemed to do more than anything.

Izayoi hid a giggle behind her napkin when Shippou outsmarted Inuyasha (_once again!_) in their current argument. It was apparent that the kit had much experience with the grown version of her son, so he could counter whatever Inuyasha dished out and leave the hanyou with his mouth opening and closing without an appropriate comeback, which peed the mouthy hanyou off to no small degree.

And how was it that Kagome had given birth to a full-bred youkai child?

Izayoi had thought that impossible, yet it was obvious that they were related. Shippou even _looked_ like Kagome—although he'd obviously gotten his father's hair.

Biting down on the piece of meat his mother had cut into little pieces and offered him on her fork, the kitsune gave his mother an adoring smile before turning and scowling at Inuyasha, chewing furiously and swallowing before sticking his tongue at him for the insult the hanyou had sent his way about being a 'mummy's boy'.

Izayoi's dark eyes went to Kagome and Sesshomaru, who sat to her left. Both seemed to be arguing just as heatedly as Inuyasha and Shippou were, with Kagome going as far as to stab her chopsticks menacingly in his direction.

Sesshomaru grabbed the offending utensils and pulled it out of her hand before plowing the morsel of meat it held into her mouth, smirking mischievously when that shut her up.

She glowered at him, but chewed the tough meat with a vengeance, obviously trying to take some of her anger and annoyance out on it.

Izayoi's eyes twinkled merrily as she watched them interact. It'd been so long since she'd seen Sesshomaru so carefree and _childlike_ as he taunted his mate-to-be by stabbing the fork into another carefully cut morsel of meat on her plat and twirling it around her mouth.

Kagome glared at him, but the slight upturn of her lips proved that she was actually quite amused with his antics.

Shippou, realizing that his mother's attention lay elsewhere, stabbed at her plate with his chopsticks and stole a large piece of meat, dragging it to his plate and with a quick glance to make sure she wasn't watching, shoved the huge portion into his mouth, a contented expression on his face as he began to chew happily.

Izayoi's smile grew beautifully, as she watched her family. She'd wanted to have more children but after dying she'd lost all ability to have children, and seeing Shippou and Inuyasha together was like a dream come true—as was seeing Kagome and Sesshomaru together once more.

Another wonderful things was that Sesshomaru was now of age to finish the ritual…

…And Kagome didn't seem terrified of him as Izayoi had been frightened would happen after the youkai attack.

This miko was far stronger than they all gave her credit for.

Yes, things were going to work out just fine.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha sat on the grass, looking up at Kagome silently as she and Shippou both told him stories of when they searched for the shards of Shikon No Tama when he was grown. Kirara chased a butterfly nearby, not much in the mood for listening to the stories she'd lived through.<p>

An open-minded child by nature, the hanyou didn't disbelieve for a moment that these two were from his future, and he couldn't help but find it exciting to hear of all of his adventures and of all of the times he'd saved Kagome and Shippou in the future.

He wondered why _Sesshomaru_ hadn't been there from the beginning, but the young pup didn't really give it all that much of a thought. In the future his brother was the Lord of the Western lands and obviously had to run the kingdom and didn't have time to run around with them looking for shards of a gem that Kagome and Inuyasha himself had fault in shattering.

Of course, they'd warned him that things would probably change now that Kagome had changed the past. But still Inuyasha was sure that even in the future—when Kagome and Shippou returned—they'd still be together traveling for _some reason or the other_—even if it had nothing to do with the shards. He could feel a connection with Kagome, a frightening need to be near her which grew with every day as he got to know her better.

"I won't let that bastard ruin me and make that woman shoot her damned arrows at me." He announced vehemently, remembering the story of Kikyou, the priestess he was supposed to be in love with, Kagome's ancestress.

"_Inuyasha!_" Kagome gasped. "Don't use that language in front of Shippou!"

The hanyou's ears flickered back at the reprimand before he realized what he was doing and feigned indifference by folding his arms over his chest, jutting his chin out, and letting out a "_Keh_."

Kagome giggled, surprising him by pulling him to her and giving his cheek a kiss. She smelt of heaven and of the flowers in her hair.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, realizing that he'd never enjoyed a better scent.

Pulling away, Kagome smiled up at him before giving a jealous Shippou a kiss as well. She then ignored the boys and began to pluck flowers from the meadow the three were enjoying, continuing to place them in her hair.

Shippou pulled at a flower and jumped onto her shoulder, putting it behind her ear.

Inuyasha did the same.

Kagome pulled them to her and gave them a kiss, giggling, happier than she'd been in a _very_ long time.

The hanyou looked down at his hands as Kagome began to tell of yet another story in which he'd lost Tessaiga (he was going to have to ask his father about that sword) and his demon blood had taken over him. The child listened enraptured at how he'd destroyed so many things and frightened those who were his friends.

"How did you get me to stop?" He asked in a soft, curious voice.

Kagome opened her mouth and then closed it, blushing scarlet.

That piqued his curiosity even more.

"She kissed you." Shippou made a face.

"_SHIPPOU!"_

"But you _did_ kiss him okasan!" Shippou whined at her reprimand.

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he blushed considerably.

Kagome was beet-red, glaring at her unrepentant son before turning to Inuyasha with an innocent expression. "Do you want to hear the story of when you and Miroku had to dress up as geishas?"

The kitsune snickered at the memory.

The hanyou nodded silently and listened as she threw herself into the story, painting it with such clarity be could see himself and the monk Miroku clearly. But, for some reason, he couldn't help but wonder about that kiss, why Kagome was with _him_ in the future instead of Sesshomaru, and why he'd been foolish enough to let Naraku to deceive him the way he had.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru watched as she slept in the guestroom with the kitsune. While he wanted to have her in his bed with him, he could understand why she would want to sleep with her kit. It was a new, frightening place for the child and Shippou obviously adored his okasan and was used to sleeping with her. Even in his sleep the child held onto her as if terrified that she'd be jerked away from him, and Sesshomaru could understand that.<p>

He'd worshipped his mother as well.

Getting into bed with them, coming up behind Kagome, the inuyoukai pulled her back against him, groaning at the feeling of her body against his. She fitted him as if made exactly for him. He'd let her stay here with the kit for the first few nights after she'd awoken, but he wasn't about to let her believe that he'd forgotten that she was his mate and that her place was by his side, even when in sleep.

"Sesshomaru?" Her voice was groggy from sleep, and more than a little surprised. "What are you doing?"

"Hush, miko." He whispered, arm around her waist, nuzzling her hair and closing his eyes, enjoying her scent. Tonight would be the first night since many centuries that he knew he'd be able to sleep peacefully. "This Sesshomaru is in need of his rest, and he cannot find it if his mate is away from him."

Surprisingly enough, Kagome didn't make any complaint and just huffed slightly before falling right back to sleep.

Sesshomaru smirked.

Apparently the brat and Shippou had worn her out so much today she didn't have the strength to argue with him.

Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru stayed like that for hours, surprised when the sleeping kit sensed the heat and burrowed between his arms and Kagome, unintentionally causing Sesshomaru to be embracing him as well.

It was unnerving how _right_ it felt to be embracing and protecting Kagome and her kit by another youkai. And while Sesshomaru was startled when the kit curled around his arm, purring contentedly in his sleep, what surprised the inuyoukai the most was the smile on his face when sleep finally claimed him.


	6. A Glimpse Into The Future

_A/N: Sota is thirteen in this story since Kagome is nineteen_

_A/N2:Want to thank __**I Am Japanese **__for pointing out that 'oji-san' is uncle and not shufuku as the translator said!_

_A/N3: In this story Rin is younger than in the manga/anime_

* * *

><p><strong>(Future)<strong>

Asako Higurashi was supposed to be hanging out the freshly washed clothes, but as always, she'd passed the Bone Eater's Well and frozen. Not for the first time since her daughter had started her quest in the past, did the young mother wish that Kagome were here instead, safe and sound, only having to worry about passing exams and who to date.

Something moved in the shadows of the well house, and for a moment her heart leaped with joy at the thought that finally her thinking of her daughter had summoned her back, but she suddenly realized that it wasn't Kagome—but _Sota_.

Asako frowned and sighed sadly as she watched her son look longingly down into the darkness of the well. While he might behave brattily whenever Kagome returned from her ever decreasing in frequency visits, whenever she was gone he went to visit the well house and look down as if that in itself could connect him to his sister.

_Oh, Sota, you've been growing up too fast_.

He was also worrying her.

Lately he hadn't been able to sleep peacefully. Nightmares of spiders and treacherous gems had filled his dreams. At first she'd thought that maybe he was paying a little too much attention to his sister's stories, but he'd awoken the night before Kagome's last visits screaming about monstrosities and battles his sister had vaguely spoken of later on, not knowing that her brother had dreamt of them before her return-before _they'd happened_.

Apparently Kagome wasn't the only one in the Higurashi family who'd inherited spiritual gifts.

And Asako couldn't ignore it anymore. She needed Kagome to come back soon so she could tell her about what was happening with Sota and see if she somehow knew how to help him.

Asako's father _believed_ he could help Sota, but his wards and his teas only annoyed the teenaged boy, and Asako couldn't inflict her father on her son anymore.

No.

Now it was time for Kagome to begin worrying more about her family than those blasted shards.

With one more look in the direction of the well house and her silent son, Asako shook her head and went to hang out the wet clothes.

* * *

><p><strong>(Present)<strong>

Inuyasha realized that he must be having some Naraku-induced dream, but no matter how hard he tried to see past the illusion, everything and everyone seemed so _real_.

Miroku _wasn't_ a monk, but he _was_ a holy man, and his 'companion'. Apparently he'd saved the young man's life some years ago and hadn't been able to get rid of him since. They lived in Sesshomaru's Palace when they weren't scouting the Western Lands or visiting (or spying!) on the other Lands for his brother.

The fact that his brother and he were said to have a good relationship was enough to tip Inuyasha that this wasn't real. Really, Naraku should have realized that _no way_ could Sesshomaru and he have a 'tolerant' relationship with each other.

And Kikyou-was _old_.

Inuyasha shook his head when he remembered Miroku taking him back to the village. He'd nearly _fainted_ when he'd seen Kaede and an old Kikyou telling off two scrawny and unremarkable girls dressed in oversized priestess kimonos for something or the other.

Kikyou and his friends, realizing that something was wrong, had sat him down and retold him their history. It was obvious that they thought he'd either lost his memory or his mind—and since he could remember the players but not the game—they obviously believed it to the latter.

"I hope Kagome-sama will be well on her side." Miroku said softly to Kikyou, who nodded, face showing true concern for the younger version of her soul.

"You said a horde of demons came after her?" Kikyou whispered, face pale. "Why would they attack her like that?"

"What the hell is wrong with all you of you people?" Inuyasha exploded, this was all too much. "Have you all conveniently forgotten that Kagome is the guardian of the Shikon No Tama?"

Kaede jerked her head to look at him. "The _what_?"

Miroku sighed. "He said the same thing some time before. Does anyone know what this _Shikon No Tama_ is?"

Kikyou frowned, looking at Inuyasha silently before answering. "During the time of the great priestess Midoriko there was war between the youkai and the humans. Midoriko was the priestess of this very village, and she protected it with her life against the swarms of demons that came to feast upon the flesh of the innocent."

The two granddaughters shivered.

"Midoriko loved a hanyou, had loved him since childhood, yet their love was a forbidden one." Kikyou continued in a solemn voice. "Despite the fact that both knew they shouldn't be together, their desire and love proved too strong and throughout the war they continued to see each other in secret, cementing their love in a mating ritual witnessed only by the gods of old."

Miroku frowned, leaning forwards, obviously captivated by the story.

"The hanyou wanted them to run away together, but Midoriko wouldn't leave the people under her care. They depended on her, and while the hanyou accepted this at first, after their mating he became as all demon mates, possessive, jealous, and resentful against those whom he considered to be taking his mate from him, keeping her attention away from him."

Inuyasha didn't recognize this story. It wasn't the one he'd heard about the Shikon No Tama, and he didn't like this. It seemed so _real_…

"One night, in bloodlust and egged on by the most powerful youkai, named Magatsuhi, the hanyou went on a rampage against Midoriko's village, determined to rid himself of the humans that kept his mate from leaving with him. Midoriko begged him to stop, tried to get through to him, but couldn't." Kikyou shivered, rubbing her arms and looking into the fire, obviously remembering a similar situation she'd been in with her husband, the blacksmith, some years previous. "To save those in her care, she was forced to kill him."

One of the granddaughters gasped.

"With the blood of her beloved still fresh on her hands she realized that Magatsuhi, the one who'd caused this to happen, was there. He'd come to watch, sure that the priestess would be forced to kill the hanyou she loved, and would be too weak to fight him."

" The youkai had secretly lusted after her all along," Kaede added in a soft voice. "And after getting rid of her mate he was ready to force his claim on her."

"Yet Midoriko was filled with hatred and rage for what the youkai had forced upon her, and summoned all her unsurpassable power." Kikyou continued on. "Magatsuhi and Midoriko fought for days until Midoriko used the last of her power to kill him, killing herself and her unborn child with her, yet ridding the human race of one of the most powerful, cruelest youkai in history."

"Youkai and human alike watched the battle, and witnessed what hatred could bring. They called a peace treaty—no matter how frail it was—and burned them all together." Kaede whispered. "And it is said that when the bodies and flames were no more, the ghost of Midoriko rose from the smoke and spoke to those present at the funeral, while a glowing gem arose from the common burial."

"She told them not to cry because she'd return when they needed her most, and that when the miko of the Shikon No Tama—the Jewel of Four Souls—arrived, she'd come to save them from extinction just like Midoriko had saved them from her beloved and Magatsuhi." Kikyou turned her old eyes on Inuyasha. "And you say that Kagome is the guardian of this _Shikon No Tama_?"

He shook his head silently, at a loss as what to say.

Kikyou turned to her sister. "Midoriko has returned."

Kaede nodded softly. "A time of great danger and much death is upon us."

* * *

><p><strong>(Future)<strong>

"I'm sorry, but Kagome can't come to the phone." Jii-chan announced into the phone. He'd been on his way to perform his daily sweeping of the shrine when the telephone had sounded. Since Asako was out hanging the clothes on the clothes lines and Sota couldn't be found, the priest had had to tend to the teenaged boy on the other line. "She's too ill."

"She still has tuberculosis?" The voice which he recognized as that nice young humanboy who always brought Kagome medical things asked in worry. To be truthful, this kid was the only one jii-chan felt a little bad at lying to. "Because I've been reading up on that during my free time at school, and I've found some herbs that in the old days of the samurai were believed miraculous. I can bring them over right away and give them to her myself."

Jii-chan sweat-dropped. "No! No! The tuberculosis just _went away_. The doctors called it a miracle!" He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Oh." The young boy announced. "So what does she have now?"

The old man frowned, somewhat confused. "Huh?"

"You said she was too ill to come to the phone, so if it isn't the tuberculosis, then what does she have?"

Darnnit! The boy was starting to sound suspicious! _Think old man! Think!_ "Ah! Ah! _She has-she has_-." He raked his brain, trying to remember the diseases and problems ones could have due to bad health in the book he'd bought so he could be versed in illnesses for such a time as this. He spouted out the first one that came to mind. "_Erectile dysfunction!_"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Going red and pale at the same time, jii-chan smacked himself on the forehead. "Hahaha. Joke. _Joke_." He desperately tried to convince the young man.

"I don't think Kagome's illness is anything to joke about." The boy sounded serious. "What _exactly_ is wrong with her? My uncle is a doctor, I think that her doctor is being lax with her and this is why she never recuperates half as quickly and has such a low immune system."

_Think! Think! What FEMALE illness can I say she has now?_ Another word randomly popped into his head and he spat it out all too happily. "She has _Trichomoniasis_."

There was a longer pause. "Dear _Kami_." The boy sounded shaken. "I—I—I didn't _know_—she was—and I—_I_ did this to her! Arigato! Arigato! I will find something to help her, I swear!" And with that he hung up.

All little confused by the boy's reaction, Jii-chan decided to go, find his book, and see what exactly he'd just told the boy Kagome had.

Finding said book in his room, he searched the illness and read the entry.

_Trichomoniasis_

_Trichomoniasis, sometimes referred to as "trich," is a common sexually transmitted disease that affects 2 to 3 million Americans yearly. It is caused by a single-celled protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomoniasis is primarily an infection of the urogenital tract; the urethra is the most common site of infection in men, and the vagina is the most common site of infection in women._

_Symptoms_

_Trichomoniasis, like many other sexually transmitted diseases, often occurs without any symptoms. Men almost never have symptoms. When women have symptoms, they usually appear within four to 20 days of exposure. The symptoms in women include a heavy, yellow-green or gray vaginal discharge, discomfort during intercourse, vaginal odor, and painful urination. Irritation and itching of the female genital area, and on rare occasions, lower abdominal pain also can be present. The symptoms in men, if present, include a thin, whitish discharge from the penis and painful or difficult urination._

Jii-chan's eyes widened like saucers and he dropped the book. _Sexually transmitted…and that boy said HE'D given it to Kagome?_

Upon realizing what _that_ meant, the priest promptly fainted.

* * *

><p><strong>(Present)<strong>

"Obaa-san Kikyou? Obaa-san Kaede?" A voice asked sleepily as a young girl with long dark hair and darker eyes asked, appearing in the room with the others.

"Aye child?" Kaede asked.

Kikyou frowned when she realized that Inuyasha looked as if he were about to faint when he saw the child.

The young girl looked up, and smiled when she suddenly saw Inuyasha and Miroku. "Miroku-sama! Inu-oji-san!" The child smiled and threw herself at the hanyou, whose eyes widened in horror.

"_Rin_? Inuyasha cried out, pushing the kid back slightly.

The five-year-old Rin smiled at her adoptive uncle, a little confused at his behavior yet obviously not minding it much. "Is okasan with Sessho-oji-san?"

Inuyasha looked at Rin, eyes still terrified and confused. "Who are you calling okaa-san?"

The child giggled, obviously thinking he was joking. "My okaa-san of course!" She turned to Miroku. "Where are okaa-san, Otouto and neko-chan?"

The holy man smiled at the young girl sadly. "They, um, Kagome-sama, Shippo-kun and Kirara-chan were attacked by youkai, Rin-chan."

The child's eyes widened in horror…

…as did Inuyasha's.

Kikyou's frown darkened. Inuyasha was acting as if he hadn't known that Kagome had found the baby Rin after her parent's death and adopted her just as she'd done with her kitsune son.

"No!" Rin shook her head violently. "Are they okay? Where is my okaa-san?"

Kaede pulled the shivering, crying girl towards her before glaring at Mirko. "My child, your mother and brother are on the other side of the well, _healing_."

That seemed to calm Rin before she frowned. "How is it that _Otouto_ and _Kirara-chan_ got to go through the well?" Jealousy and resentment marred her beautiful face, along with her tears of fear for her mother and brother.

"The well realized that they needed to go as well." Kaede replied in her no-nonsense voice. "When they are well, they will return."

The child was silent. "First Sessho-oji-san disappears and now okasan, Otouto and Kirara-chan as well?" Rin sat down next to Kaede, looking into the fire. "They won't leave me, right? Not like my first parents?"

"Course not." Kaede chided. "Your okaa-san wouldn't leave you."

Kikyou smiled at the young, frightened girl. "And you still have your uncle Inuyasha, right?"

Rin gave her a brilliant smile before beginning to speak with Miroku.

Inuyasha got up and left the hut.

Kikyou frowned as she watched him go.

* * *

><p><strong>(Future)<strong>

Sota Higurashi couldn't get the images to leave his head.

He hated it.

Hated the images, the screams, the red of his sister's blood as she fell to the ground, a shadowed figuring throwing his head back and laughing demonically above her.

Why was he being shown these things if he wasn't allowed to go to the Sengoku Jidai? He'd tried going there years ago and had only gotten a swollen ankle to show for it.

He wasn't a little boy anymore, Kagome wasn't the only 'gifted one' anymore, and yet _still_ the well wouldn't let him pass to keep his sister safe. Why were the Kami doing this to him? He'd tried to listen to jii-chan and do as he said-he'd tried to learn the ways of a Shinto priest and take care of the shrine while Kagome was gone-so what could he have done to cause the Kami to mock him so by giving him visions of the danger his sister was in but not allowing him to go and protect her as he should?

Sitting on the edge of the well, he looked down into the darkness below. He knew that when Kagome jumped she was enveloped in a bright light and glided into the Feudal Era, but whenever _he_jumped he was swallowed by darkness before there was a rough jolt at the bottom where his bones ached in complaint.

There had to be something he was missing. Something he had to do before he could join his sister in the Feudal Era and protect her as she battled against Naraku.

But what _was_ it?

If he knew he'd do it right away. He'd been training for this opportunity ever since the well had swallowed his sister up and sent her to the time that needed her the most.

Sota had joined the kendo club at his school and had rapidly become the best of his class. Of course, he'd kept it a secret from the rest of his family, because he knew that his mother wouldn't want him practicing something that could be used to take a life, and his jii-chan would insist that he was only wasting time in which he could spend learning more about the ways of the Shinto priest.

But Sota knew that he'd been training for such a time as this…so why wasn't the well accommodating him?

"PAPA!" He heard his mother crying out in surprise and fear.

Frowning, he gave one last look down the well before rushing out of the well house and into the home, following his mother's voice until he came to jii-chan's room and found the old man fainted on the ground, with his mother trying to wake the old man up.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	7. Path of Fire - Part One

**It is a short chapter, but it has Sesshomaru/Kagome as well as Inuyasha/Kagome moments in it so I hope that you like it anyway!**

Also, Sango WILL appear in this story later on and there WILL BE SANGO x MIROKU attraction like on the show. Just won't happen until a little and their relationship dynamics will be different.

Sections in _ITALIC_ are _MEMORIES._

* * *

><p>"Would you be a ningen if you could be?" Shippou asked, looking at the flower in his hands. He'd plucked it to give his mama, but instead of going towards her, he'd started to realize that his okasan was just like that flower. She was beautiful and brought joy to those around her, but she would wilt quickly before his eyes and he'd once more be alone.<p>

"Why would I want _that_?" Inuyasha made a face from where he was tossing stones into the brook. "Kagome-chan says that in the future I want to be ningen to be with some ningen bitch, but I've decided that all I got from that priestess was a headache. If I'd be whole _anything_, I'd want to be whole _demon_."

"But you get to be a ningen at the full-moon, Shippou pressed on. "And you get to cross over to mama's time with her when…when…when _I can't_."

There was the root of the whole problem.

Shippou knew that Kagome wouldn't be able to stay with them forever. Once the shards were collected and the gem completed she'd be sent back to her time and he wouldn't be able to go with her. He'd be alone again.

The kitsune crushed the flower in his paws.

Inuyasha paused in the motion of throwing yet another stone and turned to look at Shippou thoughtfully. "You're right. I get the best of both worlds and I get to pass the barrier. Maybe I'd stay hanyou then. I mean, _you're_ youkai and _I_ can do something _you can't_."

"Well, don't rub it in!" Shippou shouted, face red with anger.

"It's not _my_ fault _you_ came out faulty and despite the fact that Kagome-chan is ningen you still became a full-_youkai_." Inuyasha reasoned.

Shippou glared at the hanyou. While he felt proud that everyone had just assumed that he was his okasan's child despite the fact that he was youkai, he couldn't help but wish that they knew the truth, because if they could, maybe they could find a way to help them.

_Maybe Sesshomaru can help_…

"Don't cry, only females cry!"

"I'M NOT CRYING!"

And they started fighting again.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha and Shippou were arguing.<p>

That in itself wasn't surprising; those two hadn't spent a minute in each other's presence without arguing since the day they'd met. Only these arguments were different from the arguments they'd had in the future. Now they were like jealous siblings.

Inuyasha was jealous of the different way Sesshomaru treated Shippou, and the kitsune was jealous of the motherly affection Kagome was giving Inuyasha.

They were two small boys used to being a spoiled, and they were _adorable_.

"How can you sit there and listen to them shout so?" Sesshomaru asked as he appeared behind her from the shadows.

From her place on Kagome's lap, Kirara gave him a little look before yawning and closing her eyes, drifting back to sleep purring now that she was sure he wasn't a threat.

Kagome looked behind her at the tall youkai, giving him a small smile. Ever since that night when he'd come to sleep with Shippou and her, she'd been dreaming peacefully, without the nightmares that'd plagued her up till that moment.

When Shippou had asked _why_ they were being moved into Sesshomaru's room and slept in the same bed with the youkai she'd told him that Sesshomaru kept her nightmares away, and the young kitsune had accepted that explanation with only a little reluctance before jumping up and down on the comfy bed and annoying Sesshomaru to no small extent.

"Even though a ningen's hearing is inferior to that of a youkai, their racket _must_ bother you." Sitting next to her, Sesshomaru kept his gaze on the kit and the inu. "His father, did he have a good relationship with him?"

Kagome was surprised by the question. "I believe so. Shippou was destroyed when he was killed."

There was silence. "And you were not?"

_What an odd question_. Frowning slightly, Kagome eyed the inuyoukai. "Well, _no_. I didn't know him so-."

"You didn't _know him_?" Sesshomaru growled, turning to look at her, narrowed eyes flickering gold to red. "How could you bare him an heir and yet _not know him_?" His eyes went bled red. "Did he force himself onto you?"

"Huh?" Her eyes went wide when she suddenly understood what he was asking and she stood up rapidly, unknowingly sending Kirara to the ground. "You…_you_!" She gave a little cry when Sesshomaru clasped his arm around the hand whose finger she was shaking furiously in his face, and pulled her against him. "_Sesshomaru_! Let! _Go_!"

He growled angrily against her neck, warning her to stop shouting so close to his sensitive ears. "Did…" his voice was hoarse like sandpaper, and beneath her hands the muscles of his body rippled. He was fighting the transformation. "_Did_…he…_force_…himself…_unto_…you?"

"No!" Instead of pushing away, Kagome held onto his shirt, trying to speak softly as to not hurt his hearing, yet forcefully for him to hear the truthfulness in her voice. "I was never _with_Shippou's father."

Sesshomaru went still.

Feeling the rippling of his muscles begin to subside, Kagome pressed on, running her hands up and down his chest in a comforting manner. "Sesshomaru, I thought you all understood. Shippou isn't my son because I _gave birth_ to him, he'd have been a _hanyou_ if that had been so."

His breathing was calming, and his heart had stopped its manic race.

She closed her eyes, breathing in his feral scent that was completely _male_. "I _adopted_ Shippou." There was silence and Sesshomaru was so still she'd have believed she was holding a statue if she couldn't feel his breath against her cheek. "I adopted him after he joined us on our quest. He needed a mother and I wanted to be that person."

"You are a priestess." His voice was emotionless. "And he is the pup of a youkai, enemies of the holy ningens. And yet you adopted him?"

She pulled away slightly, looking up in his face, surprised to see the confusion there. "He was only a child. I'm not prejudiced. He needed a mother and I loved him. I wanted to protect him, and if adopting him in ningen terms and both youkai terms would secure his relative safety then I was more than happy to do so."

"Youkai terms?" His frown had returned and he placed his hands on her shoulders, claws digging into her skin yet not painfully. "You _fool_, you could have been _killed_!"

Kagome nodded, smiling up at him. The future Sesshomaru had told her the same very thing when he'd returned from the Western lands and had discovered the change in both the kit's and her auras and realized what she'd done. "You already told me that."

He frowned darker, eyes searching her face. "You really _did_ go through the Path of Fire for that kit?" When she nodded he looked at the kit arguing with Inuyasha and then back at her. "Not many humans come out of that alive-or _sane_."

"_Not without a demonic familiar to help guide them…"_

The sentence rested between them.

She took in a deep breath. "Inuyasha helped me."

Closing her eyes, she relived that day.

* * *

><p><em>"Inuyasha!" Kagome backed up, surprised to see the angry hanyou glaring at her, standing in front of her and the place that she'd sneaked away from the camp to get to without exactly THIS happening.<em>

_"I'm not going to let you do this, Kagome." Inuyasha glared at her angrily, yet deep within his golden orbs was intense worry. "Didn't you hear WHAT that old crone said about this place? People who go in don't come out the same. Some people don't come out at __**all**_

_She took in a deep breath, cursing the fact that he'd brought up the fears she'd managed to bury away. "I'm going to do this, Inuyasha. Shippou needs me to do this."_

_"So he's injured. We've all been injured." Inuyasha took a step towards her. "But I think he'd prefer to wake up and find his 'okasan' alive and sane next to him than to live with the guilt of knowing that she died or went insane trying to do something stupid for him!"_

_"Don't make me say 'it'!" She threatened, tears fogging her vision. "Shippou is badly wounded and if I were his mother in the youkai way I'd be able to heal him! If I don't do this he might die and I'd never forgive myself for not taking this chance!"_

_The hanyou watched her silently before sighing, shoulders drooping in defeat. "You're going to do this whether I want you to or not, huh?"_

_She nodded, thankful for his understanding her. "He mightn't be my real son, Inuyasha, but I love him as if he was, and I'd do this and more if it would keep him alive and safe."_

_"Sometimes I—sometimes—I-." Inuyasha's face clouded with sadness as he looked down at his bare feet. "Sometimes, Kagome, I wish the well had sent you back to when __**I**__was a kid. My life would have been better with you there."_

_Her heart stopped at the pain he'd allowed to show through his tone of voice and the look in his eyes. Kagome knew she was in love with the hanyou, and while he'd let her know in his own way that he cared about her, this was the closest thing he'd ever come to telling her how important she was to him._

_Rushing towards the hanyou, she threw her arms around him and held him closer, their hearts beating rapidly against each other as she stood on her tip-toes just to be closer to him._

_Finally getting over his shock, Inuyasha surprised her by hugging her closer to him, burying his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent._

_"I'm coming with you." He whispered against her skin. "That crone said that sometimes a demon helping the human and protecting him or her can make it easier, and while I am only a half-demon-."_

_"You're more than enough." Her heart was racing. Was this the start of their future? "You know that I like you just the way you are."_

_She could feel his blush warm against her skin._

_"Yes, well, let's get this over with." Blushing bright scarlet and refusing to meet her eyes, Inuyasha pushed away and pulled out Tessaiga with one hand before shyly grabbed hers with the other._

_Kagome smiled up at him, heart beating rapidly. Looking back at the fiery arch before them, she squeezed his hand and took in a deep breath, feeling sure that she'd be fine now that her protector was with her_.

* * *

><p>"Once again Inuyasha was with you when you needed someone." Sesshomaru was disgusted with himself as they sat on the grass, looking at the two children continue to argue by the brook. "I am beginning not to blame you for <em>not<em> choosing to accept my supremacy in the future. I did nothing to prove my worthiness as a protector or as a provider."

He looked up in surprise when he felt her hand upon his in a comforting way.

"To be fair, Sesshomaru, you were going through a rough time back then." Kagome's voice was soothing, and her eyes held no anger or resentment towards him. "I'd just gotten strong enough with my powers to be able to help you re-grow your arm, and right when you were trying to learn to use it better your kingdom was invaded by the Eastern Lands."

Storing away the information of the future attack from the Eastern Lands, Sesshomaru instead focused on the feel of her skin against his. He shifted his hand so that he was holding hers, running his thumb up and down the curve of her palm. "But you don't understand, ningen, you are my mate. You should have had preference over my kingdom."

She smiled softly at him. "I wouldn't keep it against you for trying to protect those under your care. And anyway, I had Inuyasha to protect me."

Sesshomaru should have been angry that she'd basically said that she didn't need his protection since she had that of his half-brother, but he just _couldn't_…not when this was the first time she hadn't fought him on the fact that she was his mate.

Was she finally coming to believe and accept that?

Kagome watched him curiously, obviously wondering what had him smiling so smugly at her, but the inuyoukai decided that the longer it took for her to realize on her own what he was smiling about the better. Because when she _did_ realize _why_ his grip on her hand had tightened she'd go red, sputter in embarrassment, and immediately deny being his _anything_…even if only because she was a contrary ningen.

But she was _so_ beautiful.

"So, what happened next?" Sesshomaru asked. "I always heard that it was dangerous and foolish to enter the Path of Fire, both for demons and ningens, but no one had ever lived to tell the tale of what occurred within, or if they were alive, they were too insane to tell the tale."

Kagome, distracted from her curious wonderings, looked up and smiled, getting more comfortable and not even trying to pull her hand from his as she began. "Well, at first nothing happened."

* * *

><p><em>"Feh," Inuyasha snorted. They'd walked through the fiery archway and once the tunnel had opened into a garden he'd been ready for an attack, yet <em>_**nothing**__. They'd been following the flaming path throughout the garden for a while now and __nothing__ had happened except them getting tired from all of the walking. "Is this __**it**__? We'll die from exhaustion after walking for so long and go insane with __**boredom**_

_Kagome rolled her eyes at his manly impatience. "Calm down Inuyasha. I'm sure you'll get to slice at something soon enough."_

_He keh'd once more before sighing and keeping an eye on their surrounding, swinging Tessaiga around a little in boredom._

_Rustling in the bushes to Kagome's side caused the hanyou's ear to turn towards the sound before he growled and pulled Kagome behind him, Tessaiga ready as the bushes shook violently and…_

_…and tiny little youkai with big bug eyes appeared._

_Inuyasha nearly fell. "This is it?" He asked in indignation. "THIS is what we're supposed to fight? Even KAGOME could fight this twerp and win!"_

_"HEY!" Both Kagome and the youkai cried out, both insulted._

_"What?" Inuyasha asked._

_Kagome was doing her best to keep the 'sit' from coming out of her mouth._

_The inch-high youkai raised his chin and looked at Inuyasha in anger. "Inferior half-breed, show some respect for the Great Lord Kuro!" He then squealed when Inuyasha grabbed him and held him between his thumb and finger, threatening to crush him._

_"INFERIOR?" Inuyasha yelled._

_"Inuyasha! Don't kill him!" Kagome cried out, tugging at his sleeve. "He might be of some help!"_

_"Yes! Yes!" The youkai cried out in a squeaky voice. "The great Lord Kuro won't like you killing his messenger!"_

_Inuyasha paused, and let go of his hold on the small youkai, who jumped onto a fallen tree trunk and sighed in relief to still be alive._

_"You're saying YOU aren't this Lord Kuro?" the hanyou asked, more interested than angry by now._

_"Of COURSE not!" The creature that reminded Kagome more and more of Jaken announced hotly. "My Lord Kuro is the master of the Garden of the Path of Fire, and you, ningen and hanyou, have trespassed into his property!"_

_"But we were told that to adopt a youkai pup in the youkai way we had to come through here." Kagome bent at her knees so that she was closer to eye level with the small creature. "Were we informed wrong?"_

_"No." The youkai looked at her and Inuyasha before shaking his head. "I now see, you are a young, married couple who haven't been able to have children of your own-most probably the hanyou's fault since half-breeds usually ARE the ones at fault for everything-and you want to adopt an orphaned youkai."_

_Kagome stepped in front of the small youkai, keeping Inuyasha from bringing Tessaiga down on him for the 'half-breed' comment. A dark blush covered her face. "In-In-Inuyasha and I aren't married. H-he is just here to help me s-s-so __**I**__ can adopt Shippou."_

_"Yeah! Why would I be married to someone like KAGOME?"_

_Kagome's eye twitched. "SIT!"_

_Inuyasha cried out as he plummeted to the ground._

_The youkai's eyes widened as he saw what she could accomplish with just one word. "A sorceress!" He bowed quickly. "My Lord Kuro will want to attend to you and your disrespectful guard personally. Please, follow me."_

_They did as told once Inuyasha could pull himself out of the hole he'd made in the ground, going off of the path and into the shrubbery, surprised that once they passed through the hanging vines they stepped into a hall of gold._

_"Wow." Kagome gasped, looking around them at the throne room of pure gold and glittering jewels._

_Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as he looked around him suspiciously. "Something about this place just doesn't smell right."_

_Frowning at that, Kagome was going to ask him what he meant when a movement to their right caught her attention and her eyes widened when she noticed for the first time the handsome youkai sitting on the single throne._

_He was so beautiful it was __painful_

_Kagome had always secretly believed that Sesshomaru was the most beautiful male she'd ever seen, yet this youkai had done the impossible and was even MORE beautiful than the inuyoukai._

_"Who have you brought to me, Masaru?" Lord Kuro asked, sitting languidly in his throne, twirling his scepter idly through his fingers._

_"A lady sorceress and her hanyou guard." Masaru announced in his high, squeaky voice, bowing reverently. "She wishes to go through the Path of Fire to adopt a youkai pup."_

_"A __**sorceress**__?" Lord Kuro asked, eyebrow raised as he looked at her up and down in disbelief. "Hard to believe such a young, pretty little ningen could have enough power to be such."_

_"But it's _true_ my lord!" Masaru exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I saw her power myself! With one word she felled the hanyou! It left a huge hole in the path!"_

_Lord Kuro's eyes narrowed slightly at that and he turned to Kagome. "I demand a demonstration of this power of yours."_

_Inuyasha growled, sick of the males talking as if he weren't there as well. "No way in __**hell**__ buddy."_

_"Inuyasha is my FRIEND, not my guard." Kagome explained, fidgeting with her hair nervously. "And while I __**can**__ make him fall if I want to-I don't want to because it would hurt him, especially on this floor."_

_Inuyasha spared her a quick smile before glaring at the males._

_"Do you DARE disobey my Lord Kuro?" Masaru shrieked. "You-!"_

_Kuro raised his hand and silenced the creature immediately before raising from his throne and descending down the small steps until he was in front of Kagome, eyes traveling over her body and face, taking in her appearance completely._

_The human blushed at such a thorough appraisal._

_Inuyasha growled angrily besides her._

_"I sense power in you, ningen, but I sense pure power, that of a miko. NOT that of a sorceress."_

_She looked him in his eyes. "I never said I was a sorceress."_

_He was silent before a smirk covered his face. "True that is." Clasping his hands behind his back, he looked her over once more. "A miko who befriends a hanyou and wishes to adopt a youkai. What a rarity you are, my beauty."_

_She blinked, blush growing darker._

_Inuyasha growled angrier, his hold on Tessaiga getting so that his knuckles were transparent._

_Lord Kuro turned his back on them. "Come, I will take you through a shortcut and get you to where you are supposed to be for your first trial."_

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	8. Path of Fire - Part Two - The 1st Trial

A reviewer express concerns that my telling a story from Inuyasha and Kagome's past didn't make any sense and would confused others and wasn't relevant to the current story-but _THE PATH OF FIRE _**IS** relevant, I swear.

**I want to thank each and every one who reviewed the last chapter! Thank you so much for your support and hopefully you like the second part to the Path of Fire! It will be a little shorter than usual (like the last chapter) but I think that it has so much information that it is better this way anyway so that it isn't too much information at once and too overwhelming.**

Warning! This is a somewhat **dark** chapter due to the first trial. It is nothing terribly graphic, but it still is sad, so you have been warned.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru looked at Kagome as she let go of his hand with a squeeze and lay down on the grass, dress billowing around her, looking up at the clear blue sky with nostalgia embedded deep within her beautiful, emotion-filled eyes. He couldn't help but feel proud that such a beautiful creature was his.<p>

He noticed that Inuyasha and Shippou weren't fighting anymore but had stopped a while ago and were listening to the story as well, both with interest in their eyes. Obviously Shippou hadn't been told in detail of the way in which he'd been adopted.

Sesshomaru decided not to tell his mate that their conversation was being listened into.

And she continued.

* * *

><p><em>Kagome frowned darkly at the large doors Lord Kuro had brought them to. They vibrated with demonic aura, and Inuyasha even seemed to notice it, going tense, and his hand went to Tessaiga almost unconsciously.<em>

_"Behind these doors lay your first trial." The youkai lord turned to them, speaking to Kagome, hands clasped behind his back. "Once you begin the trials you cannot leave, so, ningen, I'd think this decision over well if I were you. Is this youkai pup so important that you would risk your sanity and your life?"_

_Kagome nodded immediately. "Yes."_

_He was silent, eyes searching hers fiercely as if for deception, before he nodded and the doors flew open as if by their own will. "May you find a better fate than the others who pass through these doors, miko."_

_"She will." Inuyasha announced hotly. "The others didn't have __**me**_

_Lord Kuro raised an eyebrow as he finally turned his attention to Inuyasha, before returning it right back to Kagome. "You will need more than your hanyou to pass these tests miko. Sometimes the damage mightn't show, yet it breaks you apart and you can never heal."_

_Kagome gulped. That sounded ominous._

_"Now, on with you." With that, Lord Kuro and Masaru left them._

_"Feh," Inuyasha snorted, drawing Tessaiga, eyes on the darkness beyond the door. "Let's get this over with."_

_Pulling out an arrow and positioning it on the notch in her arrow, Kagome nodded and followed the hanyou into the room._

_She didn't know what she'd expected, but it hadn't been _this

_The moment she'd entered the room she'd been separated from Inuyasha, and found herself inside of a dark cave. The sound of fighting from outside drew her out into the light, and her eyes widened in horror at what she saw in front of her._

_Two humans were beating a little pup half to death out in the open, laughing cruelly as the child cried out in pain, begging them to leave him alone. But while that in itself was an image that would haunt Kagome for the rest of her life, what caused her heart to shred into pieces was that she recognized that child._

_It was Inuyasha._

_"Please…please! Stop!" the bloodied hanyou child begged, curled on the ground in a fetal position as the fully grown men continued to kick him mercilessly. "I haven't done anything! I haven't done anything!"_

_"You stupid hanyou!" The biggest of the men screamed. "You have done us wrong by existing! By proving that somewhere some human WHORE slept with some youkai bastard and created __**you**_

_"Filth!" The smaller, yet more frightening looking man gave him an extra violent kick to the face. "Abomination!"_

_"STOP IT!" Kagome screamed, finally getting control of her body as she rushed towards the men, trying to push the smaller one away from Inuyasha, but she ran right through them._

_Inuyasha was crying in pain as the blows continued to strike him and his aggressors continued to demoralize him with each cutting word, laughing at his predicament, telling him mockingly to call on his demon father to save him._

_"NO! __**NO!**__" Kagome tried once more to push them away but once again went through them. In desperation to try and save the young Inuyasha she readied her bow and let her arrow fly-yet it went right through the images, causing no damage._

_It was only then that the girl accepted the fact that these were memories, and that she couldn't do anything to stop them._

_Crying at the injustice, at the atrocity of the images, Kagome fell to her knees, screaming at the helplessness she felt at having to witness what was happening and not be able to help the defenseless child being brutalized before her very own eyes._

_Finally the men left, only after they'd grown tired, and Inuyasha was left unconscious and bloody in the middle of the forest. Kagome went towards the child's broken body and let her tears fall on him as she sobbed broken-heartedly, suddenly noticing that while she couldn't touch the aggressors she could touch Inuyasha._

_Even if this was only a memory, Kagome couldn't leave him that way, and even though she knew that it would weaken her for the other trials, Kagome summoned her healing powers, tweaking them slightly so that they wouldn't try purifying the demon side of the hanyou._

_He groaned in his sleep, tears still pouring down his eyes, as she healed him. And once Kagome had finished, she pulled the unconscious child to her heart and bathed him in her tears as she wished she could take his hurt away, wished she could have been there for him when he'd been so young and defenseless._

_Going back to the safety of the cave with Inuyasha in her arms, Kagome went in as deep as she dared before curling on the floor with the child and fell asleep, holding him near, never noticing the pair of eyes watching her from beyond the illusion._

* * *

><p>"You are crying."<p>

Blinking, Kagome raised a hand to her face and pulled her wet fingers away. "I am." Sniffling, she ran her sleeve under her nose and wiped at her eyes. "That image still haunts me to today."

She'd never spoken to anyone about what she'd seen that day, not even Inuyasha, and she was surprised at how _right_ it felt to tell it to Sesshomaru. "I guess that's why I risked the future by telling your father about what was going to happen. If I could keep Inuyasha from going through that brutalization I would."

Sesshomaru was silent yet there was an odd look in his golden eyes as he looked down at her. "You risked not being born by saving this Sesshomaru's Otouto from his true past."

"It was worth it. I don't regret taking that risk." Kagome whispered, looking up at the beautiful blue of the sky. "Inuyasha is a good person, Sesshomaru, and he deserved a better childhood than what he had. If I have to pay for that sin, then I will pay it gladly."

Sesshomaru frowned at her. "You are this Sesshomaru's mate; he shall protect you despite his apparent pathetic inability to do so thus far."

She smiled tenderly at his statement, and it didn't even occur to her that this was the second time he'd referred to her as his mate and she hadn't contradicted him.

"What happened to my brother during this?" Sesshomaru finally asked, interrupting the comfortable silence that'd befallen them. "What did _he_ see?"

Kagome winced. "Something I wished he'd never seen."

* * *

><p><em>"Kagome?" Inuyasha looked around him in deep worry. "KAGOME! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"<em>

_How could he have let her down like this? He was supposed to be her protector! Where was she? Didn't she realize that she needed to stay next to him so that he could keep whatever was going to appear to hurt her?_

_His worry made him angry as he continued to look for the human, and he nearly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her hiding behind some bushes in the forest, but that breath of relief—and his sharp retort—stuck in his mouth when he noticed the heart-broken expression on her lovely face._

_Wondering what could have happened to cause such an expression, the hanyou froze when he followed her gaze and saw __**himself**__…with __**Kikyou**_

_"I love you, Inuyasha." Kikyou said with her extremely rare smile, yet it wasn't directed to him as he'd thought at the time. It was directed to Kagome, whom she knew was watching the scene, hidden in the bushes._

_The image-Inuyasha smiled down at Kikyou, elated that she'd finally shown some emotion towards him that wasn't hate and vengeance. "I love you too, Kikyou."_

_Kikyou sent a triumphant smirk in Kagome's direction before taking the hanyou by surprise and kissing him._

_Inuyasha felt like such a fool as he relieved that moment and watched as Kagome's eyes began to water from her hiding place._

_"Kagome…" He went towards her, determined to tell her that this was just a memory and he didn't love Kikyou, yet she acted as if she hadn't heard him…and then his hand went through her._

_That was when the hanyou realized in horror that this wasn't __**his**__ memory…but __**Kagome's**__! She'd __**seen**__ this!_

_"Why, Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered so softly he hardly heard her as she turned and ran away, covering her face with her hands._

_Inuyasha looked back at his image-self and at the image-Kikyou, growling when he saw Kikyou watching Kagome run away with a smirk before pushing his image-self away and leaving._

_The hanyou turned around and hurried in the direction that Kagome had disappeared in, and the scene changed from the forest to the village, in Kaede's hut, where Kagome was crying against looking Miroku, and a murderous-looking Sango was holding a knife in her hand._

_"How could you try to do that?" The Demon Huntress cried out, both angry and terrified. "Kagome! If Inuyasha is too stupid to realize that you are the right one for him, he's the one who has lost out! You—You shouldn't—if Miroku and I hadn't-Kagome!"_

_The usually cool and emotionless elder girl threw the knife away as tears welled in her eyes. "I lost my family because of a damned hanyou. You're the only 'family' I have now that Kohaku is still under Naraku's control-and I refuse to have the deeds of __**another damned hanyou**__ take you away from me too!"_

_"And I need you too, Lady Kagome." Miroku said softly, stroking her hair in an amazingly brotherly and non-lecherous way. "You are like a sister to me as well, and I need you to keep me safe from Sango-sama."_

_Kagome hiccupped with quick laughter against his now wet shirt._

_Sango sent the monk a thankful smile before breathing in a calming breath and kneeling next to them. "And how would we find the shards without you?"_

_"Kikyou was the __**original**__ guardian." Kagome whimpered. "I'm just the bad copy, remember? She can easily find the shards."_

_"I'm not traveling with the living dead." Sango let her know._

_"Me neither." Miroku declared faithfully. "And, Lady Kagome, I believe I speak for Sango-sama and Shippou-chan when I say that we do not believe you to be any copy. Your soul might have once belonged to Kikyou, yet you are two very different mikos. You are your own person."_

_Sango nodded rapidly. "Houshi is right." She reached over and gently brushed away Kagome's tears. "You're a part of our family, Kagome, and if you'd killed yourself you would have hurt us all, especially Shippou. He already lost his parents, how do you think he would take losing you as well? You know he's taken to thinking of you as his okasan."_

_Kagome looked up at them and her eyes widened. "I hadn't thought about Shippou."_

_"Well, now that you __**have**__ I know you won't try something as foolish as this again." Sango smiled softly. "I know you, Kagome; you're the kindest person Kami ever created. You would never hurt yourself now that you know how much you'd hurt us in the process."_

_Miroku smiled at Sango._

_Kagome smiled at both of them. "Thank you, you guys. I feel, I feel so silly." She frowned. "Please don't tell Inuyasha what I nearly did. I—I was stupid, and I don't want him feeling bad."_

_"I think he deserves to know how his carelessness hurts you." Sango announced hotly._

_"Please, Sango-chan." Kagome reached for her hand and squeezed it. "Promise me you'll forget what just happened."_

_Sango opened her mouth to fight back._

_"Promise it, Sango-sama." Miroku whispered softly._

_The Demon Huntress looked at the monk and sighed in resignation. "I promise."_

_But the damage was done._

_Inuyasha stood in the doorway, horror in his golden orbs as he watched the image versions of his friends. Had—had Kagome tried to kill herself because of him? Because of Kikyou's evil manipulations?_

_He felt self-hatred as he finally accepted that the creature with Kikyou's body wasn't the miko he'd once loved. He had no duty to avenge her anymore, and when he saw her again he'd let her know so. He couldn't kill her, she still bore the face of the woman he'd once loved, but he'd be damned if he let her play him a fool as she'd been doing since that witch had brought back her body._

_As with Kagome, a pair of eyes watched this development from just beyond the illusion._

* * *

><p>Inuyasha could feel the fury in his brother, and couldn't blame him. He was furious with his future self as well. What sort of idiot had he been in the future? He'd had a beautiful, kind and caring woman like Kagome in love with him and he'd been stuck on the dead bitch.<p>

How could he have chosen that dead bitch for the longest time over the woman who had gone back in time for him and changed his past instead of wishing for _him_ to change for _her_-like this_Kikyou_ had wanted him to do?

Looking at a silent Shippou, the inu-hanyou frowned, seeing the tears in the kit's now large eyes.

"Afterwards Inuyasha told me what he'd seen, and asked me to forgive him for hurting me." Kagome announced softly. "I told him that I'd forgiven him a long time ago, and that now I was just happy being his friend."

Inuyasha frowned. He _definitely _was an idiot in the future.

_"Wake up miko."_

_Opening her eyes, Kagome looked up and blinked when she saw Lord Kuro standing before her in the cave. Image-Inuyasha was still sleeping peacefully besides her._

_"Both you and your hanyou have passed the first trial." Lord Kuro surprised her by reaching for her hand and helping her to stand. "Not many can withstand seeing the ones they love suffering without being able to do anything to help." He began to lead the girl away._

_She looked back at Inuyasha until the image disappeared and she was once more reunited with her friend, now fully grown, and while he seemed uninjured, there was a haunted look in his eyes as he looked at her._

_The fact that he didn't comment on Lord Kuro's hold of her hand said enough about his behavior._

_"Come." The youkai said, releasing her hand. "I shall lead you to the second trial."_

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	9. Path of Fire -Part Three- The 2nd Trial

**_Disclaimer: Don't own_**

* * *

><p><em>"Do you have something of the pup you wish to adopt?" Lord Kuro asked as they stood outside the doors that would lead towards their next trial.<em>

_Kagome nodded silently and pulled the blue hair band she'd been using, passing it to the Youkai lord. She'd taken it from Shippou while he lay unconscious, fighting for his life, and while she knew that a token of the child was necessary she was still loathed to part with it, it was as if the strength from that connection was keeping her going and now she was passing it over._

_Fingers closing over the material, Lord Kuro gave it a delicate sniff and nodded. "Kitsune."_

_"Can we get this over with?" Inuyasha was impatient and in a horrible mood, obviously wishing to have something to beat up._

_Lord Kuro raised a black eyebrow at Inuyasha. The youkai stood tall, in regal gowns and a four point star on his forehead. His eyes were a crystalline green and his skin the palest, purest white. "Are you sure you want this impatient whelp as your protector, lady miko?"_

_Surprised at the title he'd given her, Kagome blinked before realizing he'd asked her a question. "Yes, my lord, Inuyasha has always protected me in the past, and I believe fully in him."_

_Inuyasha lowered his head, humbled by her faith in him. No one else had ever had such a deep faith in him before._

_"I hope he doesn't fail you now." Lord Kuro whispered as the doors opened on their own accord._

* * *

><p>Izayoi watched as Sesshomaru, Kagome, Kirara, Inu-chan and Shippo-chan returned slowly from the fields as the sun set leisurely behind them. Kagome's hand was firmly secured in Sesshomaru's as the elder youkai looked down at her in stoic silence, face not betraying the fierce storm within him that his eyes did.<p>

The Lady of the West looked at the two pups and her frown increased when she saw the troubled looks on their faces as well. They looked sad and angry at the same time as they followed one at Sesshomaru's side and one at Kagome's.

Whatever the Miko was saying was bothering them.

"What is it my love?" Inutaisho asked as he hugged her from behind, placing his chin on her shoulder. "What bothers you?"

"Look at them, Toga." She whispered, motioning towards them. "Just _look_ at them."

There was silence before he straightened. "They're holding hands! Aha! I _knew_ miko-sama wouldn't be able to withstand Sesshomaru's charms." He chuckled smugly. "He _is_ **my** son after all. I'll have grandpups yet."

Izayoi rolled her eyes and elbowed him quite unladylike in the ribs, ignoring his cry of pain. "Not _that_ Toga! Look at their faces! Something is bothering them."

Wincing and rubbing his sore ribs, Inutaisho looked at them once more from the window and frowned as he realized that what his wife said was true. The small group looked troubled, and interestingly enough, that was only the borderline feeling.

Miko-sama and the neko demon resting on her shoulder shone with nostalgia.

Sesshomaru radiated _fury_, and Inutaisho was quite proud of his eldest for being able to control himself and his demon so easily. When _Inutaisho_ had been Sesshomaru's age, if he'd experienced the degree of _fury_ Sesshomaru was experiencing at the moment he wouldn't have been able to control his demon and he would have transformed.

Inuyasha seemed bothered, guilty and somewhat annoyed, yet he seemed more annoyed with himself, which was something Inutaisho couldn't understand.

And little Shippou-chan, the sadness and guilt surrounding him was so thick it could be _tasted_ by any youkai around.

What the devil was miko-sama _saying_?

* * *

><p><strong>(Present)<strong>

Inuyasha sat upon the highest branch of the tree, head held tightly between his hands as he closed his eyes and tried to shut out the pain as memories continued to fill his head. He remembered Kagome when he was young, he remembered her visits as he grew up, he remembered fighting and playing with Shippou, remembered Kagome's growing relationship with Sesshomaru-remembered how, as he'd grown older, he'd grown to resent the place his brother had in the miko's life.

The Beads of Subjugation glowing pink, he fought it, fought the change he felt deep in his body, yet with a scream it took over, the beads exploding into nothing, wiping all the memories of a past life from his mind.

Breathing in a deep, calming breath, Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked around, frowning, remembering nothing of what he'd once been except for the stories he'd learnt at Kagome's side when a pup.

The prince of the Western Lands jumped down from the tree and took in a deep breath as he returned to where Obaa-san Kikyou and Obaa-san Kaede and the others were. He remembered the youkai attacking Kagome-chan and her and Kirara and Shippou-kun disappearing down the well.

He needed to find Sesshomaru. His elder brother might know what to do.

* * *

><p><em>Entering the marsh, Kagome stayed close to Inuyasha, whom after the first trial, had become even MORE protective of her. They'd been walking for a while now, Tessaiga and her bow and arrows ready for whatever they were going to come upon.<em>

_At least this time they were together._

_That was enough to calm Kagome._

_Something dark shifted to their right._

_Inuyasha noticed it and pushed Kagome behind him, Tessaiga ready. "Show yourself you coward!"_

_Both intent on the shadow in front of them, neither noticed the tentacle that raced at them from behind until it'd wrapped itself around Kagome's waist and pulled the screaming girl into the dense fog._

_"INUYASHA!"_

_"KAGOME!" Inuyasha turned, rushing into the fog without a second thought to his own life or safety. All he cared about was Kagome, and he berated himself for falling into the trap so easily. "TALK! KAGOME! WHERE ARE YOU?"_

_**"INUYASHA!**__" She screamed to his right and he changed directions immediately, his hanyou eyes making out a large dark mass in front of him and in seconds he'd made clear of the fog and stopped when he saw that they were on a dock, and the large creature with tentacles was lowering a screaming, squirming Kagome (who'd lost her bow) into the depth of the sea with it._

_"WIND SCAR!" Inuyasha screamed as electric light flew from Tessaiga, slicing through the thick tentacle that had Kagome in its strong grip._

_An unearthly shriek filled the air as blood spurted._

_Kagome screamed as the severed tentacle slipped off of her and she found herself falling down at a rapid speed about to crash into the water._

_Inuyasha shot forwards, jumping from tentacle to tentacle, catching Kagome before she could hit the water, and quickly returned to the land with her, putting her down gently and turning around in time to slice off the tip of another tentacle that'd rushed out at them while their backs had been turned._

_"Think you can sneak up on __**me**__?" Inuyasha was insulted, that was obvious. "Stay here Kagome. I can handle this." He ordered before charging on the creature, obviously more than pleased to finally have something to beat up and a way to get rid of the tension that'd been building in his body from the first trial._

_Kagome stood shakily, her ribs hurting her from the force the creature had used to hold onto her. While she wanted to keep an eye on Inuyasha, she also wanted to know where her bow was. The miko knew that this was the second of three trials, and was more than sure that she'd need that bow on the next trial if not this very one._

_**Where is it where is it where is it?**_

_Eyes widening when she saw a piece of it on the ground, half in the fog, Kagome rushed towards it without a second thought, grabbing hold of the fallen weapon and picking it up, only then noticing the string that'd been attached to it._

_"Oh no." Feeling the __**whoosh**__ above her, Kagome ducked in time to escape the scythe-like blade of the creature that'd taken a swing at her head._

_Rolling on the ground, Kagome quickly broke the string connecting her bow to __**whatever**__ and quickly notched an arrow on it, looking around her, cursing when she realized she was somehow back inside of the fog._

_A dark figure shifted to her left and Kagome let the arrow fly. The glowing weapon slammed into the oncoming creature and there was a burst of light as it screeched and exploded in holy light._

_But the young woman didn't have time to celebrate her victory because another shadow to her right swung its scythe like blade at her, narrowly missing slicing her arm off and only cutting a thin line in her arm._

_Wincing at the pain, Kagome backed up rapidly as the creature continued to charge her, swinging its blade in front of it. The young woman reached back for an arrow and gave a little cry as the creature grew nearer and its blade sliced off the bottom of her shirt, leaving her stomach bare._

_Tripping on a rock, she went down with a scream and the arrow she'd been fixing on the bow flew, yet instead of piercing the creature's heart, it went straight through its head._

_Unlike the other creatures, this one didn't scream, it didn't explode, it just fell lifelessly to the ground next to her._

_Kagome breathed out a sigh of relief before hearing Inuyasha cursing colorfully._

_Obviously he was still fighting the Kraken-like creature._

_Getting up, Kagome hurried through the fog towards the hanyou's voice._

* * *

><p><strong>(Future)<strong>

Swinging his _shinai_ around, Souta hit his opponent in the stomach, sending him flying back with a cry of pain. Sensei would sometimes reprimand Souta with fighting too seriously, not enjoying the techniques and going straight for the kill, yet the young boy knew things his Sensei didn't, knew that this wasn't just remembering one's heritage. This would help him one day.

Top of his Kendo class, Souta Higurashi looked very different than he did on normal days. He wore the protective kendo body armor, called the '_b ogu'_, which was worn to protect specific target areas on the head, arms and body. His head was protected by the helmet-like '_men'_. His forearms, wrists and hands were protected by gauntlets called '_kote_', and the rest of the body was protected by both the '_do_' and the _'tare'_.

The clothes worn under the _bogu_ compromised a jacket (or _kendogi_) and a _hakama_, which was a trouser-like garment with wide legs. A cotton towel or _'tenugui'_ was tied around the head, under the _'men'_, to absorb the perspiration and provide a base for the '_men'_ to fit comfortably.

And like in other martial arts, the _kendoka_ trained and fought barefooted.

"Point one to Higurashi Souta!" One of the three referees called out, raising the red flag in his hand instead of the white one, signaling that Souta (who wore the red ribbon) had indeed scored the point.

His competitor, someone from another kendo school, cried out in anger and struck-or _tried_ to strike-yet Souta easily dodged the attacked and twirled around. Vocalizing his _kiai_, Souta's _shinai_made contact with the other competitor, and everyone in the room was silent in awe.

He'd already scored the two points needed to win the fight.

"Point t-two to _Higurashi Souta_!" The second referee exclaimed in surprise, lifting his red flag.

"_Takahari school of Kendo_ wins the match!" The third referee called out and Souta's classmates cried out in happiness, running to Souta, congratulating him.

The boy smiled slightly at them yet remained more stoic as he noticed the referees whispering amongst themselves.

"That's the quickest I've ever seen anyone beat someone before." One of the referees whispered. "He went in and went out!"

"He must have been a great kendo warrior in a past life." The second announced.

The third was silent, yet kept his eyes on the young kendo fighter.

* * *

><p><em>"Let's finish this bastard!" Inuyasha cried out, looking at the creature that now had <em>_**many**__ tentacles chopped off and sinking into the now blood-red sea._

_Kagome nodded, smiling. She preferred this any day over the trauma of having to see Inuyasha suffer when younger and not be able to help him._

_Notching an arrow on the bow, Kagome concentrated, feeding her purifying powers into the weapon before letting go of the string and watching the glowing arrow flying straight towards the creature's opened, fanged mouth as it tried to make another garb at them._

_"BACKLASH WAVE!" Inuyasha screamed, bringing Tessaiga down as power shot out from it towards Kagome's arrow, twirling around it, both their powers combining and growing in danger and magnitude before the arrow pierced the creature. It screamed a horribly human sounding scream before the combination of priestess and demonic power exploded within it._

_Pulling Kagome against him, protecting her body from the explosion with his, Inuyasha closed his eyes and didn't let go when all was silent._

_Kagome, eyes wide at such a gesture, blushed and looked up into his face the whole while._

_Blush dark on his face, Inuyasha pulled away and turned around, clearing his throat suspiciously. "Hey, can we make sushi outta that?"_

_Ignoring the ugly remains of their adversary, Kagome smiled up at Inuyasha._

_"You two have survived." A stoic voice said behind them, and both twirled around, weapons ready, only to relax when they realized that it was Lord Kuro._

_"Of __**course**__ we're alive." Inuyasha sniffed. "I'm not planning to die any century soon, and I'll __**never**__ let anything hurt Kagome."_

_Kagome's blush darkened, and her smile grew more tender as those words escaped his mouth._

_Lord Kuro ignored Inuyasha, as usual, and turned to Kagome. "Lady miko, I am here to make a deal with you."_

_Kagome blinked in surprise. "A deal?"_

_"Yes." He nodded. "If you lave now I shall give you a partial bond with the kit of your choice. You shall be his adoptive mother."_

_Kagome frowned._

_As did Inuyasha. "Isn't that what she's trying to become __**now**_

_"No." Lord Kuro shook his head. "If she takes this offer she will have something of the kit, some of his traits, such as a longer lifespan to be better able to care for him, she will be his adoptive mother." The youkai lord returned his attention to Kagome. "But if you continue, not only will you have traits of your kit, but your kit will have __**your**__ traits. You and the kit will be changed forever, with your blood running through his veins, your family shall truly be his family. You will have a different bond. The bond of a __**true**__ mother and kit."_

_Kagome's eyes widened and she took a surprised step forwards. "You're saying that it would be as if I'd actually given __**birth**__ to Shippou?"_

_The youkai lord nodded silently before his eyes went dark. "But I advise you __**not**__ to do so. It is near miraculous that you have made it this far. __**No one**__ has ever passed the third trial, Lady Miko.__**No one**__. Take what you have achieved so far and be happy."_

_"Will-," Kagome hesitated. "With what I have now, by being his adoptive mother in the eyes of all youkai, will I be able to __**heal**__ Shippou if he ever got ill?"_

_"No." Lord Kuro shook his head. "Only a __**true**__ mother can heal her pup."_

_Kagome took in a deep breath. "Then I'm going to go for the third trial."_

_"I strongly advise you-."_

_"We don't __**need**__ your advice." Inuyasha stepped in, placing a protective hand on Kagome's shoulder. "__**I'm**__ going to be there with Kagome and we'll beat the ass of whatever test you have prepared for us."_

_Once again, Lord Kuro ignored Inuyasha, his eyes solely on Kagome. "Is there nothing I can do to change your mind?"_

_"No." She said without a moment's pause._

_"It is your choice." He sighed. "Follow me."_

* * *

><p><strong>(Past)<strong>

As they finished dinner, Shippou's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't realized-his okaa-san hadn't explained that to him before! He hadn't realized that she was indeed truly his mother and not just the ningen miko accepted to adopt a youkai child.

The little kitsune looked up at his mother in pride and love, humbled that she would go through all of that trouble to save him after he'd gotten himself hurt because of his own foolishness.

He wanted to cry at the fact that she'd loved him so much that she would make him her **true** child. Even after the 'adoption' he'd still harbored a small fear that one day Kagome would have to return to her time and would leave him alone again, but he was now reassured that that would never happen.

He was truly her son.

And Kagome truly loved him.

Also, this explained some of the strange things that'd been happening to him of late.

And maybe the fact that he was Kagome's true son was why the well had finally let him through-her blood ran through his veins.

Puffing out his little chest in pride, Shippou smiled up at his okaa-san as she picked him up after they finished eating and gave his cheek a loving kiss before wiping at a spot of mashed potato on his face.

"Time to sleep, you two." Izayoi-sama announced, picking up an eye-rolling Inuyasha.

"But I want to hear about how I save Kagome during the _next_ trial!" Inuyasha complained sorely up at his mother.

Sesshomaru grew tenser in his seat.

"How about I tuck in Inuyasha and tell them the end as a bed time story?" His okaa-san offered.

Izayoi-sama smiled. "I would like to hear the rest of it myself. The story is most intriguing."

Inutaisho stood. "And, I, uh, I haven't tucked my child in of late."

In other words he _too_ wanted to hear the end of the story.

"I'll bathe this little messy guy and we'll meet you at Inuyasha's room." Kagome smiled before leaving the dinning room.

From where he was snug in her arms, Shippou looked behind them at Sesshomaru, who still sat on his seat, looking angrily into the flickering flame of a candle on the table.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	10. Path of Fire -Part Four- The Last Trial

_Kagome should SOON be returning to the 'present'._

**Warning: Slight Sesshomaru/Kagome lime. This will not be long or 'good' because I don't want it to be. Lol. I have a nicer, longer scene for later, and this is really just a start to show that Kagome is giving into Sesshomaru more than she wants to admit. Plus, it's only the first stage of the mating ritual.**

* * *

><p>After bathing Shippou, Kagome found herself in Inuyasha's bed with her son and the small hanyou, smiling at their sleepy little faces while Sesshomaru, Izayoi and Inutaisho stood around listening as she told the story of the last trial.<p>

* * *

><p>"The hanyou can't accompany you within these walls." Those words, spoken by the youkai lord, caused shivers to run down Kagome's spine.<p>

_"WHAT?" Inuyasha screamed. "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"_

_"Silence hanyou." Lord Kuro hissed before turning to the stricken priestess. "Your hanyou may not enter, such filth will not be accepted into the room and it might purge him."_

_Kagome's eyes were wide in fear. This was the greatest task and yet she wasn't allowed to take her protector?_

_"But if you know of any __**pure**__ youkai whom you wish to accompany you within, you may summon him or her, but beware, this ritual will be binding."_

_Her first thought had been to call in the favor of re-growing Sesshomaru's arm and get __**him**__ to help her—if he would—but Kagome winced when she realized that surviving this task would be a binding experience. Sesshomaru would never do that, bind himself to a ningen, and she really couldn't ask that of him-and neither could she keep the binding a secret for him, so the powerful Lord of the Western Lands was out of the question._

_"I summon Kirara, a neko demon and companion of ours."_

_"Neko?" Lord Kuro looked intrigued. "Very well, lady miko, you may enter. Your new guardian has been summoned and is waiting within."_

_"This is bullshit!" Inuyasha stepped in front of her, blocking her way. "I am your protector; I'm not letting you go in there with only his word that Kirara will be there to protect you!"_

_"The room will not accept you, hanyou." Lord Kuro announced harshly. "Do you wish to enter as her protector, be torn apart by both sides of you fighting for supremacy, and leave the one you protect alone?"_

_Inuyasha winced, yet maintained his glare on the youkai._

_"It's okay, Inuyasha." Kagome smiled shakily, placing her hand on his arm. "I will be fine. Kirara will take care of me."_

_Inuyasha tore his glare from Lord Kuro to look down at the human in concern. "Be careful, Kagome."_

_"Sure." She smiled up at him before going through the opened doors._

* * *

><p>Slipping out of the room, Sesshomaru stormed away. Eyes flickering pink, the dog demon's aura was blacker than usual, a mixture of anger and hatred and denial. Also, if he admitted it, there was hurt, hurt that Kagome would choose the lowly neko demon that was now curling by her feet on the bed as she told the tale, and not <em>him<em> to be her guardian in such a dangerous time.

And angered because apparently his future self was so idiotic he'd given Kagome the feeling that he hated ningen so much she needed for him to owe her something to help her-and then she hadn't even asked him in the end-hadn't called him to her side to be her **true** protector, because she 'knew' he wouldn't want to be bound to her.

The gold in Sesshomaru's eyes lost the battle as darkening pink now tinted his orbs.

Honestly, Kagome's and Shippou's visit to the past was proving quite painful to Sesshomaru because it was proving what an _idiot_ he'd somehow become in the future. How'd he let things get so far between his mate and him? How had he done things so that he was the last person she thought of to defend her?

Eyes now blood-red, the demon stormed to the hot springs.

He needed to calm down before, in his anger, he allowed bloodlust to finally take over completely and he did yet _another_ stupid thing.

* * *

><p>"Kirara!" Hurrying towards the tiny cat demon, Kagome picked up the mewing creature and hugged it to her, giggling. "I'm so happy to see you here."<p>

_The cat purred and rubbed her head against Kagome's cheek in what would seem to be a comforting gesture._

_"I hope Sango doesn't get too worried since you probably just disappeared on her." Kagome fretted, letting the cat jump to the ground and in a roar of flames convert to her larger, fiercer self._

_Getting on the neko's back, Kagome held onto her fur as she took to the skies, scanning the meadow below. Obviously somehow __**someone**__ had clued the neko in on what was going on-Kagome's bet was on either Masaru or Lord Kuro himself-and the youkai was on the alert._

_Kagome leaned forwards, scanning the ground until she saw someone down below that caused her heart to skip a beat. "Shippou?" What was he doing there? He was sick! "Kirara! Let's go get Shippou!"_

_The neko made a noise of agreement and swooped down, landing gracefully next to the still kit._

_Dismounting from Kirara's back, Kagome jumped onto the grass and hurriedly stumbled towards the kit whom she was doing all of this for. "Shippou!" She fell to her knees and held him tightly to her. "What are you doing here? I was so worried!"_

_The usual bundle of energy was silent and cold in her embrace, and before she had time to realize this, heat scorched her as a voice not his own called out "FOX FIRE!"_

_Crying out in pain, Kagome let go and threw herself backwards before she could get seriously hurt. Her blue eyes widened as she looked at the kit was stood still in front of her, head tilted slightly downwards, hair-front shadowing most of his face except for his large, vacant green eyes._

_In his small hands an arc of light appeared, materializing into a miniature katana._

_Kagome's heart clenched and her face filled with horror as she suddenly realized what her last trial was._

_"No…"_

* * *

><p><strong>(Present)<strong>

One minute Sesshomaru had been tied up with the enchanted chains and the next he was standing next to a scout in the Western Lands without any memory as to how he'd gotten there other than a flash of pink light in Naraku's lair before everything had gone black.

Sesshomaru frowned as new memories assaulted his mind, memories he _knew_ shouldn't be a part of his mind, yet he could remember the smell, touch and taste of Kagome's skin as if he'd truly had a chance to be so intimate with her.

This was beginning to bother the youkai lord.

Nothing made sense anymore.

"I have been keeping an eye on Lady Kagome as per your instructions, my lord." The scout announced. "And I have also made sure that my presence was not detected by your brother the prince, or anyone else. Not even the wolf prince knew that I have been there keeping an eye on your mate."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to the lower class dog demon. He knew that Kagome was his mate? _How_? Sesshomaru hadn't told _anyone_ about that. And what was this about him having ordered the scout to tail Kagome and keep an eye on her? And why was he calling Inuyasha 'prince'?

"I couldn't find you to tell you of what had happened before, my lord, you were not in the Western Lands neither could you be located." The scout stammered. "Lady Kagome, little lord Shippou and her human kit little lady Rin were fine until a couple of weeks ago. Lady Kagome had been gone for a couple of weeks, but she is known to disappear to her time down the well and spend the days with her ningen family on the other side, so we were not worried."

So Kagome's family was on the other side of the well? And what was this about her 'time'? How was it that this mere scout knew more about Kagome than Sesshomaru did? And why did he keep on acting as if Sesshomaru already _knew_ all of this?

"News is that right after lady Kagome returned from her trip to see her family, little lord Shippou, the neko demon and her disappeared, my lord." The scout was saying.

Sesshomaru frowned, glaring at the stammering youkai.

"Lady Kagome was attacked viciously by a horde of crazed youkai, and she disappeared down the well with the others."

Sesshomaru frowned, a memory of Kagome appearing in his past with a similar story causing his eyes to widen.

Kagome was in _his past_!

* * *

><p>Dodging Shippou's swings of the katana, Kagome wiped at a bead of sweat and looked around her frantically, trying to find a way out of this. She'd ordered Kirara not to attack, but to try and disarm the kit if the neko could without getting hurt, yet whatever Lord Kuro had done to the kit it'd enhanced his fighting abilities and the neko hadn't been able to get close.<p>

_"Shippou, __**please**__, it's me! Kagome!" Kagome cried and threw herself backwards, the tip of the sword grazing the skin of her stomach._

_"It's no use, miko." Shippou's voice was deformed like the voice of a million rivers surging all at once. "I am lost in the haze of bloodlust, and no matter how many tears you shed, the kit you know shall not resurface."_

_"Shippou, I know you can hear me." She continued to plead, refusing to believe that she couldn't get through to him despite whatever had been done to her kit. "You're stronger than this. You can break the spell."_

_He threw his head back and laughed. "There is no spell, you foolish ningen. It's just you and my youki, and one of us will not leave this room alive." He narrowed his vacant eyes. "We will be forever prisoners until one of us dies!" With that, the kit charged, swinging his katana expertly._

_Realizing __**why**__ Lord Kuro had warned her against this room, Kagome felt tears filling her eyes as she sunk to her knees and clenched her fists tight as the blade pierced through her stomach with a pain so hot it was consuming._

_Kirara cried out from above and descended next to her, transforming into her smaller self, meowing pitifully as she touched Kagome with her paw._

_Kagome opened her eyes, although it proved to be hard, blood spilling through the side of her mouth. "Kirara, say goodbye to the others for me."_

_The cat continued to meow frantically, pitifully._

_"Why?" Shippou's distorted voice asked, letting go of the katana buried within her as if it'd burnt him. "Why didn't you defend yourself? I'm just a kit! With your priestess powers you could have purified me long before I could touch you!"_

_"Why would I have done that, Shippou?" Kagome coughed, her body going numb. "I love you." And with that, the darkness took over._

* * *

><p>(Future)<p>

Souta was hiding something, of that Asako was sure.

The mother of Kagome and Souta sat in the kitchen, drinking tea, wondering what to make of her two children. She'd always wanted a normal, peaceful life for them, but things hadn't turned out that way.

Of course, she understood that Kagome had to do this, had to collect the shards and defeat this demon from the past, but that didn't mean that Asako had to _like_ it. _No!_ This was her eldest child, her only daughter, going back in time to defeat an ancient evil that she shouldn't even know existed.

And then there was Souta, who was becoming more and more secretive. He used to be such a loud, open child that the changes were bothering Asako, it was as if the Souta she remembered only appeared whenever Kagome was around, which only led the mother to believe even firmly that Kagome was needed more at home than she was in the past.

They had demons and priestesses and monks and demon slayers in the past to defeat Naraku—they didn't need her nineteen year old daughter! Kagome had already given them most of her childhood! She'd barely graduated from high school because of it too!

Couldn't her 'friends' in the past understand that Kagome had a life here in the future, _her time_, and that she was missing out on it? All of Kagome's friends were starting college, they all had boyfriends, and Yuki had even gotten married and was pregnant with her first child!

Why couldn't that be _Kagome_?

Deep in her melancholic thoughts, Asako didn't notice Souta tiptoeing behind her outside of the kitchen door and out towards the well house.

* * *

><p>Suddenly light burst through the darkness, and Kagome jolted into a sitting position, taking in a deep breath. She looked around her, confused, disoriented, seeing Kirara purring on her lap and looking up at the youkai kneeling before her.<p>

_"Lord Kuro. What, what happened?"_

_"You died." The youkai announced in awe._

_"Huh?" Kagome asked, holding a happy neko to her chest while the youkai lord pulled her up with him._

_"No human has ever been selfless enough to die." Lord Kuro responded, looking fascinated with her. "You are the only one to ever pass this test, Lady Miko."_

_Pain still wracked her body and she nearly fell, but Lord Kuro had a hold on her, guiding her out of the room. "You will be in great pain, as will be your kit, wherever he may be. You both will experience a great metamorphosis and your bodies need adjustment."_

_Kagome looked up in surprise at his wording. "You're saying that you don't know where Shippou is?" Seeing his shake of the head, she frowned. "So what just killed me?"_

_"A puppet whose strings I pulled." Lord Kuro announced, passing her the ribbon. "Which was why I needed something of the kit's."_

_Kagome couldn't believe it._

_"Kagome?" Inuyasha was immediately by her side, growling at Lord Kuro before flinging the still sore and pain-filled girl into his arms. "Are you alright? What happened? Why are you covered in blood? And why-why do I smell the stink of death all over you?"_

_**I must remind you of Kikyou now more than ever, huh?**__ She thought bitterly. "Now's not the time, Inuyasha. We won. I want to go home. To Shippou."_

* * *

><p>After having put Shippou to bed, Kagome headed down to the hot springs to have a bath of her own and relax. It'd taken a lot out of her to relieve that traumatizing experience, but she was glad that she'd finally told Shippou the truth, he seemed proud and happy, and had hugged her tight, told her he loved her, and was glad that they'd never be apart ever again.<p>

Oh how she loved that kit!

Hearing growling, Kagome paused and her eyes widened when she noticed for the first time that the royal hot springs were in use.

Sesshomaru sat gloriously naked in the steaming water, eyes bloodlust red, anger and tension radiating off his body. Obviously he'd come here to try and relax and _obviously_ it wasn't working.

Kagome looked behind her.

He was so angry he hadn't noticed her presence.

She could hurry away and sleep as she was…

But Kagome couldn't leave him like that.

And it wouldn't have been the first time they would have shared the hot springs _anyway_.

Commanding herself not to blush, Kagome undid her sash and allowed her kimono to pool around her feet before taking in a deep breath and going into the water, the demon suddenly noticing her approach, his eyes flickering suddenly from blood-red to pink.

"Hey, you." She smiled slowly, remembering that his youki was in control and that she could get hurt if he thought she was a danger to him. The young woman shook the bath rag she'd brought with her. "How about I give you a scrubbing?"

_Great…__ offend him. Make him think you think he's dirty_.

Surprisingly enough, the youki side of Sesshomaru sniffed her and then sniffed in arrogance before giving her his back. Youki never gave _anyone_ their back, so the obvious trust of his demon was humbling.

Lathering the bath rag with soap, Kagome cleared her throat again before beginning to softly scrub the youkai's smooth skin. At first she was timid and somewhat hesitant of her own idea, yet as she grew more confident she scrubbed with more leisure, taking the opportunity to explore Sesshomaru's surprisingly muscular back.

"Wow…" She whispered, trailing a finger down his soap-covered shoulder blade down to the small of his back. "You're so slender I hadn't thought you'd have such hard muscles. Is it a youkai thing or does your training do this?"

He remained silent, not answering, yet leaning more against her touch.

She giggled, placing the bath rag on her thigh before scooting closer to the youkai's bare back, bringing her hands to his shoulders and beginning to massage the tense muscles, not even bothering to keep back the smirk when he made a little sound of pleasure.

Silence dragged on for what would seem like hours as she worked her hands over his tense muscles, working out the knots and calming him stroke by stroke. Kagome was amazed at how natural this felt, to be naked in the hot springs with Sesshomaru, massaging his lathered back, exploring his muscles with her hands, enjoying his soft sounds of pleasure and encouragement.

Then again, Sesshomaru had taken care of her on her last visit, and he'd been a complete gentleman, so why couldn't she do the same for him without having impure thoughts? Thank _kami_ she was half submerged under water or he'd be able to smell what being this close to him while naked did to her!

And she'd never be able to live it down!

"You know, you're so tense now you remind me of the Sesshomaru _I know_."

That was the wrong thing to say.

Sesshomaru went tense right away and in a flash had turned and grabbed hold of her, swinging her around until she was straddling his waist, staring deep within his eyes, which had been gold but were now bleeding blood red again.

"Sesshomaru?" She whispered when he growled at her, wondering if she should be frightened. "_SESSHOMARU!_" She cried out when his fingers dug into her hips painfully, and the miko struggled to get loose until she heard him whine in what would sound like pain.

Freezing, Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru's eyes were closed tight and his breathing labored.

_What the…?_

Her eyes widened and she blushed scarlet when she realized _why_.

He was hard between her legs, pressing up against her slick entrance.

"_Sesshomaru_?" She whispered as she felt him move softly against her, pressing the head of his large dick against her, her wetness easing its slight penetration.

"**Mate**…" The words were said in his sandpaper voice, causing tingles and chills to race on her spine as she realized that his demon was in complete control.

He pulled out and pushed in a little harder, burying his large girth little by little into her small, hot channel.

Kagome trembled, knowing she should stop this, knowing that this wasn't exactly Sesshomaru, but his fingers digging into her hips, keeping her in place screamed that he wasn't about to let go any time soon…and if she was honest with herself, she wasn't exactly complaining.

He raised her hips slowly before slamming her down on him, causing a mew of pleasure and pain to escape her lips. While she wasn't a virgin, she'd only had sex once, and that had been a while ago, and she was _sure_ Hojo wasn't _half_ the size Sesshomaru was.

"_Sesshomaru_…" She whimpered, closing her eyes as he began to manipulate her body, raising and lowering her onto him as he thrusted upwards, meeting her, joining her, whimpering along with her.

Something began to coil deep within her stomach, and Kagome grew desperate for it, beginning to push down as well, crying out when Sesshomaru hit something inside that caused that coil to grow hot and tight.

Right before it exploded, Kagome brought her lips to his and without thought, kissed him, causing Sesshomaru to swallow her scream as she came around him.

The inuyoukai roared back as his thrusts grew erratic and so violent it hurt, and while Kagome was still riding on the wave of her orgasm Sesshomaru's claws all pierced deep into the skin of her hips and bright white light merged with the darkness of his touch to form glittering silver as he came deep within her.

* * *

><p>Orbs now fully gold once more, Sesshomaru held the exhausted, sleeping miko in his arms as he took them back to the room they shared with her kit. The inuyoukai didn't know what'd called her to his side when he was fighting his demon for control, and he <em>really<em> didn't know what'd caused her to not flee as any sane human would have and instead _join_ him, but he was glad she had.

They'd started the more physical side of the mating ritual, and she'd accepted his piercing of her skin without much complaint.

That led Sesshomaru to believe that maybe she wouldn't be as afraid to continue with the ritual as Izayoi and his father had thought.

Remembering her tight and hot around him like a glove, Sesshomaru smirked.

This was good news.

Good news indeed.


	11. The Bone Eater's Well

**EVERYTIME A WAVE OF PINK WASHES OVER THE CHARACTERS OR LANDSCAPE IT'S SOMETHING THAT CHANGES OR IS REARRANGED IN THE 'FUTURE' OR 'PRESENT' BECAUSE OF SOMETHING KAGOME DID IN THE PAST. So when Rin touches Kagome, Kagome, Shippou and Kirara remember about her being Kagome's adopted daughter-although Kagome is the only one who knows this as 'extra' information and not as rearranged memories.**

* * *

><p>(Present)<p>

Rin knew that they'd be angry with her if she was caught, she wasn't supposed to leave the village without someone else accompanying her, but the young girl couldn't help but sneak out in the dark of the night and sit on the edge of the well that'd claimed her only family.

She was glad that her uncle Sesshomaru had brought back the well here from his palace in the Western Lands when she was a child, because this way she was closer to her mother whenever she'd return from her home on the other side of the well.

But what if she didn't come back this time?

Rin pulled her shawl closer around her shoulders to keep her safe from the freezing wind. She knew that Kagome wasn't her _real_ mother, Rin's parents had been killed by rogue bandits when she was only three years old, and Kagome—who'd ventured on the happening with Inuyasha and Miroku—had not only saved her, but adopted her, had made Rin her daughter and Shippou's sister.

Rin had never missed her real parents, she'd didn't really remember much about them, but every time Kagome had to return to the future—her time—Rin felt as if a part of her was missing, and she felt a stark blade of fear that her mother mightn't return.

And now that fear was white hot.

"She'll be back."

"Inu-oji-san!" Rin turned quickly and looked up at her 'uncle', surprised yet not surprised that he was there.

Inuyasha smiled down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking down into the blackness of the well as well. "Kagome would never leave you, Rin-chan, you are just as much her daughter as Shippou-chan is her son…and a _brat_."

A small smile touched Rin's lips as she heard the teasing in her 'uncle's' voice as he called her brother by his favored pet name.

Inuyasha frowned slightly. "I've sent word to my brother, maybe he will know what has happened."

Rin frowned again. "But I thought Sessho-oji-san was missing."

"He was," Inuyasha nodded, eyes never leaving the darkness of the belly of the well. "But I smelt him on the wind again. He is headed this way, and Miroku should come upon him soon." The hanyou frowned darker as he leapt up on the mouth of the well by her, starring suspiciously into its depths.

"What is it, inu-oji-san?" Rin asked, peering down below as well.

"I sense something off with the well." Inuyasha growled. "Something's not right."

* * *

><p>(Future)<p>

Souta stood in the Well House, looking at the Bone Eaters well in silence.

Today was the day.

He'd been dreaming for a while now, and he was sure that today was the catalyst to _something_, though he wasn't exactly sure _what_. All he knew was that he was to stay by the well, watch, and wait.

Of course, a thirteen year old boy wasn't really good in the patience department, yet Souta slowly sat on the mouth of the well, legs crossed, one hand resting on the thigh and the other resting on the handle of his sword just in case.

He hated having to lie and hide things like this from his mother, but he could sense the disapproval growing in her concerning Kagome's life, and he knew that if she realized that her other child was about to join her daughter in the treacherous Feudal Era she'd either lock them up somewhere or send them overseas.

Then again, Souta really didn't think it was his mother.

He could sense an odd aura around her.

That was why he needed Kagome to come back soon. Something was manipulating their mother so cunningly that even _she_ didn't realize it. And that only spoke of either a strong sorcerer or a demon…and Souta had no experience handling such matters.

_But Kagome-chan __**has**_.

Suddenly, the well began to tremble.

* * *

><p>(Past)<p>

"But I can fight!" Kagome protested as Sesshomaru dragged her, Shippou and Kirara quickly through his private wing of the palace and into the Well's Garden. She hadn't had time to act in mortification because of what'd happened the night before between her and the Dog Demon; they'd awoken under siege by what should have been an ally.

The Lord of the North.

"The mate of _this Sesshomaru will not_ endanger herself or her pup." Sesshomaru growled, looking behind them every couple of minutes as if tracking the advancing army.

Shippou whimpered as he sat atop a transformed Kirara, looking behind them as well.

"But-!"

They were finally in front of the well, and Sesshomaru placed her up on the mouth of it.

"When this is over I shall have the well returned to the village." He told her. "It is too dangerous for it to remain here, an enemy may learn of its value to me and have it destroyed, and that is something I cannot risk. This Sesshomaru cannot lose you."

His words tore at Kagome's heart, silencing, if only for a minute, the words of protest on her lips.

Sesshomaru cared for her.

Somehow, the Ice Prince really _did_ feel something for her.

"I can help." She whispered as Kirara flew Shippou and herself above the mouth of the well.

"You will not." Sesshomaru said in a final, My-Word-Is-Law tone. "You are this Sesshomaru's only weakness, and they will know it."

He sounded angry. Kagome wasn't sure if he was angry because he'd just realized she was his only weakness or because he'd somehow let the youkai around _realize_ she was his weakness, but whatever the cause, his display of anger was somewhat frightening coming from the youkai she was used to thinking of as emotionless.

Kagome looked deep within those golden orbs and nodded before surprising them both by cupping his face and placing a soft kiss on his mouth. "Don't die." She ordered as she pulled away and turned her back on him and jumped onto Kirara's back.

He snorted. "This Sesshomaru takes orders from no one." Yet he sounded somewhat amused.

Kagome smiled softly before closing her eyes tightly against the tears that her surprisingly insistent on making an appearance. "Don't die." She ordered again before Kirara took to the air and dived into the well, the light enclosing them, muffling whatever it was that Sesshomaru answered.

* * *

><p>(Present)<p>

The hanyou mutt was so preoccupied with the strange aura emanating from the well that he didn't feel her, but then again, she _was_ manipulating the wind so that there was less chance of him sniffing her out.

_What's so special about this ningen __**anyway**__?_ Kagura pouted as she hid in a tree, watching the hanyou and the human child of the miko that had _her_ Lord Naraku so intrigued.

Kagura knew that she was only an incarnation of her Master, and that he _literally_ had her heart in the palm of his hand, but couldn't he see it beating for him?

Sighing, the wind youkai glared down at the hanyou and ningen. Her master wanted her to grab that disgusting ningen child so that he could lure her mother to him, and while Kagura was_loathed_ to help that _miko_ get close to _her_ master, she had yet to disobey Naraku and she never wished to.

With her service she'd prove her love and devotion, and one day he would realize that she was the only female for him.

_Oh well, time to outsmart the half-breed and kidnap the filth_.

Standing, Kagura was about to ride the winds when suddenly a bright light shot up from the well and she turned away from the blinding splendor, hearing the ningen and hanyou scream.

When the light had disappeared, Kagura hesitantly turned around and blinked.

The hanyou and the ningen were _gone_.

* * *

><p>The light that shot up through the belly of the well up to the sky above was blinding.<p>

Rin screamed as fingers of light reached out and grabbed her, pulling her and the hanyou with her deep within the well. Closing her dark eyes tightly, the seven year old held onto Inuyasha tightly and screamed as they collided with something in the brightness, and then there was darkness and a loud _thud_ as they landed.

Groans of pain were heard in the darkness.

_Five groans_.

Rin raised her head from where she'd hidden her face in Inuyasha's clothes, and her dark eyes widened when she saw her okaa-san, otouto and Kirara-chan lying next to them. "Okaa-san!" The girl scrambled off of her adoptive uncle and threw herself at Kagome, who was pushing herself up into a sitting position.

The moment the child threw her arms around Kagome, hiding her face in the crook of her neck, tears landing on her skin, a wave of pink washed over them and Kagome gasped in surprise.

"I was so _worried_ okaa-san!" Rin whimpered as her mother suddenly hugged her back just a desperately. "I thought you weren't coming back!"

"Sheesh, thanks for the concern." Shippou murmured as he sat up next to Kirara, who meowed welcomingly.

"_Otouto_!" Rin then launched herself at the small kitsune and neko demon. "Kirara-chan!" She hugged them so tightly that they were having trouble breathing.

"_Inuyasha_?"

Hearing her mother's soft whisper, Rin let go of Shippou and Kirara (who took in deep, desperate breaths) and turned to look at her mother, who was looking at the hanyou nervously, hesitantly.

"Kagome-chan." Inuyasha smiled, obviously not in pain as the others and pulling her into his arms, nuzzling her hair with his nose, taking in an obvious whiff of her hair. "You are okay. I was so worried…"

"_**Inuyasha**_?" Kagome squeaked, her face beet red, eyes wide when he pulled away only to place a kiss on her cheek and then pull her close once more.

"You just came back from my past, didn't you?" He chuckled softly, tenderly. "I always wondered _when_ you went there."

Kagome blinked and blinked once more before suddenly pulling away. "You aren't the Inuyasha I know."

He grinned roguishly at her. "I'm the Inuyasha you helped make. See? I never got that damned rosary you'd always tell me about."

Kagome looked at him in surprise. "I'm back in Feudal Japan?"

He nodded."

"What happened to Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, grabbing Inuyasha's sleeves. "When we left the palace was under attack by the North. What happened?"

For some reason Kagome's question caused Inuyasha to pull back and flatten his ears as he looked away. "It was a bloody battle, Kagome, many didn't make it…like my father."

"_No_…" Kagome whispered, hands going to her mouth, tears clouding her eyes. "And Izayoi-sama?"

"Her soul was linked with his," Inuyasha closed his eyes. "So when he died, so did she."

"_No_!" Kagome's cry broke Rin's heart. "I failed you, Inuyasha." She threw herself at the hanyou, crying into his chest. "I tried to change things so that you would have a good childhood with both parents! If only I'd stayed-."

"You would have been _killed_." Inuyasha shook her slightly, causing her to look up into his golden orbs. "Don't you get it, Kagome? You _did_ give me a better childhood!"

"But-." Her tears were staining her cheeks.

"Kagome, I had my parents in this life longer than I did in my other," Inuyasha said, confusing Rin desperately. "And when they were gone I was not alone. Sesshomaru raised me, and when we rescued Miroku I had a friend. I had a good childhood…_all because of you_."

His claws reverently buried themselves in her hair as his orbs stared transfixed deeply within hers.

"Kagome, you put yourself at risk to save me." His voice was rough. "You'll never understand how much I love you for that."

Rin's eyes widened just as much as her mother's as the hanyou's eyes rested on Kagome's lips.

_Oh, OH! Sessho-oji-san will not like this!_ Rin blinked and turned to look at her little brother and their pet, noticing that they were watching the hanyou and miko with huge, saucer-like eyes.

"_In-In-In-__Inuyasha_?" Kagome squeaked as the hanyou's arms went around her waist and drew her closer.

"SIS?" A voice cried from up above. "IS THAT YOU DOWN THERE?"

"Souta?" Kagome cried, pushing away from Inuyasha and looking as a young boy looked down at them from the mouth of the well. "We're not in Feudal Japan-we're in _future _Japan!" She whispered to herself in surprise. "Why is the well letting everyone _through_?"

Rin blinked, looking up at her _true_ oji-san.

She was going to meet her mother's family.

What if they didn't like her?

She then looked at Shippou and realized that he looked just as intimidated as she did. She then _also_ realized something that caused her eyes to go saucer-like. "Shippou-chan! You look ningen like me!"

Things had just become weirder.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	12. A Brief Trip Into The Future

A/N: For those who asked me what about Shippou now that the timeline had changed-and how Rin is now Kagome's 'daughter', and other little things—I've decided to try and answer them in this chapter. Hopefully this will answer some of your questions and not leave everyone so confused!

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><p>Kagome hugged Souta close when she climbed up from the well, with all the time traveling she'd been doing of late she'd begun to fear that she'd never see her family again, so the relief to see that her brother was safe and sound was overwhelming.<p>

"Sis," Souta pulled away and looked at the others, his face lighting up when it rested upon the regally dressed hanyou. "Oh, hey Inuyasha!"

Kagome frowned slightly. Apparently Inuyasha could still travel to her time even without the beads…she wondered what their connection was in this era.

"Hey squirt." Inuyasha smiled and hugged the boy.

Kagome nearly fell over with the shock of seeing an emotion-showing Inuyasha, then again, she _had_ changed his past, so his way of acting would have been different as well.

"Okay, okay, enough!" Souta chuckled when Inuyasha gave him an affectionate noogie. Pulling away he looked at Shippou, Rin and Kirara. "Hey, who are you?"

Seeing the nervous way her children were looking up at Souta, Kagome went behind them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Souta, I want to introduce you to your niece and nephew, my children, Souta and Rin-and our good friend the neko demon Kirara."

Souta's eyes widened and he looked up at Kagome and then turned to look at Inuyasha. "_Children_?" He squeaked, looking about to faint.

Kagome wondered why his gaze kept going from her to Inuyasha over and over again until her eyes widened as well and a dark blush covered her cheeks. "No! No! Inuyasha is _not_ their father!"

"_What_?" Souta cried out. "Then who the _hell_- Ouch!"

"No cursing in front of the kids." Inuyasha announced from where he'd just slapped the back of Souta's head in a _very_ Sesshomaru-like gesture of annoyance.

"Gees, didn't have to hit me that hard 'Yasha." Souta complained as he rubbed the back of his head before taking in a deep breath and turning to his sister once more. "Okay, so since Inuyasha isn't your mate-who is it?" He looked at the children once more. "They seem human-so-you got together with _Miroku_? OUCH!" He cried out when Inuyasha _once more_ slapped him in the back of his head. "What was _that_ for?"

Inuyasha was silent yet looked extremely annoyed.

"Well," Kagome wondered how to explain the situation to her brother. "Shippou isn't a human, he's a full demon."

Souta frowned, still rubbing the back of his head. "He looks human to me."

"That's because he's Kagome's pup." Inuyasha scoffed, looking more like the annoyed and easily-irritated hanyou that Kagome had known and loved for so long. "Look, Souta, your sister is the human incarnation of the Shikon Jewel, it's a large jewel filled with immense power, and it's inside of her."

Kagome's eyes widened. The Shikon hadn't been extracted from her in this timeline?

Her hand went to her hip.

The Shikon was still inside of her?

Then what exactly had she been doing in the Feudal Era all this time if not searching for the shards and fighting Naraku?

Inuyasha, oblivious to the thoughts in Kagome's head, continued. "We're actually living a different timeline than we should because Kagome went back to my past and changed a couple of things. In the old timeline she'd adopted Shippou the youkai way, and that is a bond that cannot be broken. So when the timeline was changed Shippou wasn't born to his parents the way it'd happened before."

Souta looked down at his nephew in surprise and interest before looking back up at the hanyou. "So how is he here?"

"Well, like I said, the youkai bonding is sacred and lasting, and the fact that your sister is one of the most powerful magical beings that ever existed, well," Inuyasha looked a little uncomfortable. "She actually _had_ Shippou the normal way…with no male help."

Kagome and Souta looked at Inuyasha with wide, saucer-like eyes.

"Apparently when the timelines changed and Shippou was erased as the son of the fox Demon (although he still kept his kitsune youkai power and appearance), his connection with Kagome made him become like a seed within her that grew like a pregnancy until she had him." Inuyasha frowned. "Your sister is a horrible-tempered pregnant woman."

Kagome looked down at Shippou in surprise. She'd had him, she'd carried him within her like a true mother, and she couldn't remember.

Shippou grinned broadly.

"So, if he's sis's son, how come you say he's still youkai but looks human?" Souta seemed to be taking this better than Kagome.

"As I said, _squirt_, your sister is the human Shikon Jewel." Inuyasha looked like he was rapidly losing his patience. "We did a protection spell so that it couldn't be extracted from her like it had been in the other timeline, and the spell made _her_ the Shikon Jewel."

Kagome blanched. Why had she agreed to that? The Shikon Jewel had an energy that attracted demons of every kind, and if she'd done that, if she'd made _herself_ the Shikon Jewel, then that would mean that all sorts of insane and power-crazy, evil monsters would constantly be attracted to her.

_I wonder if Naraku exists in this timeline_.

Paling even further, Kagome felt sick.

"So that magic within her-it's a pure one because she's pure." Inuyasha looked down at his bare feet. "And it collided a bit with Shippou's demonic aura during the pregnancy—which caused a lot of indigestion and nausea—and it changed Shippou and his aura. He _is_ Kagome's true son, so he has two sides, the demonic and pure, the youkai and the ability to appear ningen when he needs to-like in this era."

"Oh, okay, so if Kagome returned to live in this era there would be no problem for Shippou because he'd look just like a normal human." Souta nodded slowly, finally understanding this confusing mess. He then turned to Rin. "And is _she_ a youkai too?"

"You wanna take over?" Inuyasha asked Kagome a little desperately.

"But you're doing so _well_." Plus, she had no idea herself. All of her new memories were still very vague and blurry, and she didn't have one clear one except of her having a long conversation about the best way to exorcise a demon with an old Kikyou-and Kagome _really_ didn't want to dwell on that.

Sighing in frustration, Inuyasha took up the role of instructor once more. "Rin isn't a youkai, but she isn't exactly a pure ningen either. We came across her family when Miroku, Kagome, Kirara and I were tracking a horde of demons that were possessing humans so that they could get into sacred places guarded against demons, and steal the holy artifacts-corrupting their purity."

Kagome unconsciously pulled the children closer against her as Kirara flew up to her shoulder, resting there, rubbing her furry face to Kagome's cheek and purring.

Why hadn't Inuyasha mentioned Sango?

"We got the demons and killed them, and Kagome purified all of the corrupted artifacts." Inuyasha looked at her in silence, lost in some memory that seemed important for him, before blushing and looking back at Souta. "We had to pass the small village to return the artifacts to their original guarding places and help set up stronger anti-demon wards, but when we got to the village we found the whole place in flames."

Rin shivered and turned slightly so that she was hugging Kagome.

"Bandits had come upon the whole village and killed everyone. We found Rin, she was still a baby and the only one alive—but she was dying. They'd—the bastards had sliced her up as well." Inuyasha clenched his fists in anger, not noticing the blood that ran down his hand as his claws pierced his palm. "She still had her soul, but her life-force was drained and the minions of the underworld were coming for her."

Kagome tightened her hold on her daughter, horrified as she listened to this recounting of the story.

"Kagome gave Rin a large amount of her own life –force, and it nearly killed her since she had to drain so much, but they both survived, and Rin is now as much a part of Kagome as Shippou is."

"And Kirara and I were bonded during Shippou's adoption during the old timeline." Kagome whispered, causing everyone to turn to her. "That's why the well let you all through with me-we're all connected in some way."

Souta was silent, processing everything before turning to Shippou and Rin. "Nice to meet you, I'm your oji-san." He wasn't prepared for the kids hurtling themselves at him, hugging him so tightly his eyes bulged.

Kagome giggled as she watched as her brother fell backwards on the ground from the force of their attack. She looked up when she felt eyes on her and met Inuyasha's soft gaze.

Eyes widening, blush tinting her cheeks, Kagome quickly looked down in confusion, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"Can't…_breathe_!" Souta cried out in a squeaky voice, face turning blue.

Taking some pity on her little brother, Kagome called her children off of him. "Come on you two, you can't kill your uncle you know."

"But we weren't trying to kill him, okaa-san." Shippou announced as he and Rin pulled away obediently.

"We were only happy that he accepted us." Rin seconded.

Kagome tried to hold back a giggle as she watched her brother taking in desperate gulps of air.

Inuyasha sniffed the air. "Is that Asako's cooking I smell?" Without waiting for confirmation, he disappeared in a blur of color, heading rapidly towards the kitchen.

"Well, _some things _haven't changed." Kagome laughed as they followed him at a slower pace, leaving the Well House, the children gasping in awe at the difference in the buildings and at the road and cars they could see below.

"Okaa-san, what sort of demon is that?" Rin whispered a little fearfully as they watched a black Toyota truck zoom by. "It is a loud and frightening one! Do we have wards that will protect us against it?"

Shippou had taken a stance behind them, obviously fearfully wondering the same thing.

Souta raised an eyebrow. "Uh, that isn't a demon."

Shippou's eyes widened comically. "It _isn't_?"

Rin gasped. "Is it a poor ningen with a horrible curse on it?"

A teardrop appeared by Souta's head. "Um, _no_. It's like, uhm, a _horse_?"

The children turned to each other, eyes wide. "_Whoa_."

Souta chuckled at them before turning a serious expression in his sister's direction. "'Gome? I, I want you to keep an eye out on mom's aura or whatever when you get inside."

Kagome frowned, ignoring the children as they hurried off to greet Buyo, wondering out loud why he didn't have six tails like Kirara. "Why?"

"I-." Souta sighed. "Look, this timeline thingy? It might explain why I've been having these visions, and-."

"_Visions_?" Kagome listened silently as Souta stopped walking and told her everything, about his visions and his uncanny ability when it came to fighting, and his winning the championship the day before. "So you think that something is controlling mother?"

He nodded. "It's an aura, or presence, or something."

"And grandpa hasn't sensed anything?"

He gave her a look. "When does grandpa sense _anything?_ Plus, he fainted the other day while in his room and hasn't spoken since. We couldn't figure out what had happened, but then we found that he was reading a medicine book, reading specifically about the STD _Trichomoniasis_, so mom has scheduled an appointment at the hospital to have him have an exam and see if he has that or something."

Kagome blinked. Her grandfather had a Sexually Transmitted Disease? _Eeewww…I thought old people didn't-EEEEEEWWWW! And with __**who**__?_

"Kagome? You feeling okay?" Souta asked, bringing her out of those disgusting thoughts. "You look a little green."

"No! I'm fine!" Holding her hands up in an innocent gesture, Kagome suddenly frowned when she sensed something from the inside of the house. "Souta, stay out here with the children. I'm going to go see mum."

Souta nodded before going after the children, who were playing with a purring Buyo.

Kagome took in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked into the house, following the sensation until she entered the kitchen, meeting Inuyasha and her mother, the former looking at the ningen with a curious/suspicious glint in his eyes.

"Kagome!" Asako cried out as she hurried to her daughter and threw her arms around her. "You came back quicker than you usually do!"

The presence stung Kagome slightly, yet she wrapped her arms around her mother tightly and closed her eyes, softly chanting the exorcism ritual Miroku had taught her years ago. She felt the spirit within crying, holding onto whatever it could, not wishing to leave the body it possessed.

The miko closed her eyes tighter, a tear forming in the corner of her eyes as she realized that the spirit wasn't malevolent. It was the spirit of a mother who'd lost her children, a spirit who'd been following Asako for years, helping her along the way, yet when Asako's depression had left her vulnerable, the spirit had entered, trying to regain the feeling of having a family of her own to take care of.

"_You're not malevolent in nature, and your intentions were pure, but you don't belong in there_." Kagome whispered into her mother's ear. "_Return to your post of guardian and I will not vanquish you from this world_."

With a shudder, the presence left her mother's body.

Asako trembled slightly, taking in a deep breath before opening her eyes once more, smiling serenely. "Kagome! You have returned!" she hugged her daughter tighter. "And with such a cute cat! Is that six tails?"

"Yes, she's a neko demon friend of ours, Kirara." Kagome smiled as she hugged her mother and Kirara leaned over and licked the other woman's cheek. "It's okay to come in Souta!" She called out when her mother pulled away. "Mother, I want you and grandpa to meet two very important people."

"Who, darling?" Asako asked, once more her cheery self, going to serve Inuyasha a plate filled with food with a smile of hello.

Souta stuck his head in the kitchen, looked at his mother suspiciously, and then sighed in relief before disappearing for a second only to return, ushering in Shippou and Rin.

Asako froze, looking at the children and then at Kagome.

"I know this mightn't make much sense at the moment, and that I'll have a lot to explain, but, mom," Kagome smiled, taking in a deep breath. "Meet your grandchildren, my son and daughter, Shippou and Rin."

The plate in Asako's hand fell and crashed to the ground as she looked at the young children and then turned to her daughter. "Y-your _children_?"

Kagome gulped. "Y-yeah."

"I have grandchildren." Asako suddenly grinned before going to hug the children. "_Finally_!" The children, obviously relieved by her reaction, hugged her back. "Why don't they have fluffy ears like Inuyasha?" Asako suddenly asked, pulling away, looking at their completely human features.

Kagome turned beet-red. "Why does everyone just _assume_ they're _Inuyasha's_?"

Inuyasha was silent.

Asako blinked, straightening. "You mean you are with the monk friend you've told me so much about? _Miroku_?"

"_No_!" Kagome cried out.

Souta laughed out loud at his sister's embarrassment.

Irritated, Inuyasha slapped him once more on the back of his head.

"Ouch! You really gotta _stop_ that!" Souta complained in a whine, rubbing the back of his very sore head.

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><p>Once the story had been retold once more, the commotion wore down and Inuyasha watched in amusement as Asako started right away to spoil her grandchildren rotten. She'd taken it upon herself to show them around the house (after giving each of them a chocolate bar) and showed them how to use the bathroom, other gadgets, and finally the television, leaving it on a kids channel before returning to the kitchen where Inuyasha, Kagome and Souta were having lunch.<p>

"Souta, you really should have told me." Asako announced softly as she turned to her son after listening to him speak of his latest vision.

"Yeah, well, mom, you_ were_ possessed." Souta mumbled into his miso soup.

"I prefer to think of it as _accompanied_." Asako announced serenely as she took a delicate sip. "And if you believe it is your destiny to join your sister in the Feudal Era to help her fight whatever new evil has arisen thanks to her having tampered with the timeline, then I agree."

Kagome stiffened next to Inuyasha. "But mom, it's _dangerous_!"

The hanyou took the opportunity to gaze upon Kagome without anyone catching him. His heart hurt him slightly whenever he looked at her. She was so beautiful-he'd always thought her gorgeous when a pup, and as he'd grown into a mature hanyou that admiration for her had turned into something else…

And he couldn't help but curse his old self for putting her through so much heartache, for being so stupid as to always pick a dead bitch over the beautiful, sweet, wonderful woman that Kagome was.

"-and I trust Inuyasha to take care of him as much as he did _you _when you first started off on your journey."

"About that." Kagome spoke slowly. "I don't remember how I started off in the Feudal Era in this timeline. I know in the last one on my fifteenth birthday I tried to save Buyo from the shrine and was pulled into the Bone Eater's well by Mistress Centipede."

Inuyasha listened as she told the story she'd told him as a pup.

"There I found Inuyasha in a coma, sealed to the Tree of Ages, and I set him free, shattered the Shikon Jewel and since then we've been searching for the shards-but obviously that didn't happen in this timeline." Kagome paused for a second. "So how did it happen in _this_ timeline?"

"Inuyasha came for you." Asako replied.

The hanyou blushed when she turned her attention to him. "Yes, well, you weren't appearing, and I knew that you'd first come to Feudal Japan around this time. So when you didn't arrive I decided that maybe with the timeline changed and with my not being sealed to the Tree of Ages that maybe I had to go get _you_ before Mistress Centipede did."

She tilted her head to the side, her beautiful eyes trained fully on him, causing him to become slightly nervous.

"I talked to Sesshomaru about this, and he agreed. He gave me the spell that I used on you moments before Mistress Centipede could get you-and she was unable to take the Shikon from you because you'd become the Shikon." He looked down at his plate of food. "You somehow recognized me. You even said my name, _Inuyasha_."

He smiled softly, remembering the way his heart had fluttered when she'd said it.

"Mistress Centipede was harder to defeat than before, and she dragged us back to Feudal Japan, where I killed her and you said you felt connected to Feudal Japan, and you've stayed there ever since training under Kikyou and Kaede to be a miko-although we never told them about the Shikon." He frowned. "But when I was transitioning from timelines in my confusion I let it slip, so they now know."

"What—what did _Kikyou_ have to say about it?" Kagome asked carefully.

Inuyasha frowned at that tone of voice. This was the Kagome that'd seen his other self rejecting her for Kikyou more times than Inuyasha wanted to think upon, and apparently the hurt and resentment was still there.

_But I'm __**not**__ in love with __**Kikyou**__ in this timeline_.

"She and Kaede said something about you being the reincarnation of Midoriko, and that a time of great danger is upon us."

Kagome gasped, her chopsticks falling from her grasp and clattering on the plate. "I'm the reincarnation of _Midoriko_?"

He nodded.

"Then it's settled." Asako Higurashi announced in determination. "Souta will be returning with you to the Feudal Era in the morning. You will need all the help you can get."

Inuyasha sighed and continued to eat his food. Once they got back to the Feudal Era Sesshomaru would be there, and while Inuyasha loved his brother…

…he sneaked a look at Kagome, who was pale and looking unseeingly at her plate of food.

He just wanted a little more time alone with Kagome.

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><p>Jii-chan bemoaned the situation of his granddaughter. She'd lost her innocence! To a miko her innocence was her greatest power! The purer the miko the purer her power-and the less chance of being corrupted by the darkness of this world-and with the creatures Kagome fought daily her being pure was essential!<p>

And, yes, he'd seen how that hanyou looked at his granddaughter, and he'd worried about her giving into temptation with _him_—but he'd never have thought that the danger was so close to home!

_And that human school-boy friend of hers always looked so innocent and harmless!_ He moaned out loud.

There was a knock on his room door. "Jii-chan? It's me, Kagome. There are two people I want you to meet."

He shot up in his seat like a bullet. Kagome?

The door slid open and his granddaughter smiled as she came in with two children, a young girl with black hair and eyes that looked around five years old, and a small boy who looked three with blue-green eyes and brownish-orange hair.

"Hey Jii-chan." Kagome's smile was nervous. "Mum and Souta say that you've been…err…_ill_." For some reason she turned slightly green, and then shook her head as if trying to rid herself of unpleasant thoughts. "But I wanted to make the introductions before they have to go to bed-mum will explain it to you tomorrow."

Jii-chan eyed the children and his jittery niece suspiciously before nodding for her to continue.

"Jii-chan." She smiled. "Meet Rin and Shippou, you're great-grandchildren."

_What?_

_Great-Grandchildren?_

Jii-chan's eyes widened.

_Wait a second, the boy—he's human, as is the girl—and the boy has brownish hair! Doesn't this Hojo boy have brown hair!_

Suddenly everything clicked for Jii-chan, especially those long months in which he hadn't seen his granddaughter.

"_**I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!**_" He exclaimed, exploding into the air and grabbing the closest thing he could use as a weapon—a broom—and racing out of the room passed Kagome and his great-grandchildren, not caring that he didn't know where this Hojo lived.

By the gods, he'd find him!

And he'd make him _pay_!

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><p>"Hey Inuyasha!" Kagome announced as she climbed up on the roof of the house and joined him as he sat looking up at the sky.<p>

Inuyasha turned and smiled at her. "Hey, why did I see your grandfather running down the street, waving a broom around like a madman?"

"I have _no_ idea." She shook her head. "I just went to introduce Shippou and Rin to him and he went insane, said he was going to kill someone, and was gone." She looked up at the starry sky and smiled. "Mum's called the police; they should find him soon and bring him back."

"So, where are the brats now?" Inuyasha asked, just to fill the silence that'd descended on them.

"Sleeping. They're staying in my room with me." She closed her eyes, enjoying the moonlight on her face. "Inuyasha?"

"Y-yeah?" He gulped. She looked _so_ beautiful.

"Thanks for coming and getting me when you thought I wouldn't come back to the Feudal Era again since the timelines changed." She whispered, eyes still closed. "I've never felt more at home anywhere than I have there."

"Yeah, well, I missed you too, you know."

She peeked an eye open and turned to look at him in surprise, her cheeks a dusky pink. "I would have missed you too, even if I hadn't met you in this timeline."

He averted his gaze and hated it when he felt his cheeks burning with heat.

"It's a beautiful night." She sighed dreamily, once more looking up at the sky.

Inuyasha chanced a look in her direction.

_Yeah, beautiful._

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><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	13. Reunited And Confused

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. I own the plot of this humble little story, but that really isn't saying anything.**

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><p><strong>(FUTURE)<strong>

"Why did you have to use tranquilizers on Jii-chan?" Rin asked, head tilted to the side as they looked at the snoring old man sleeping off the tranquilizer in his room. It taken a couple of police to get the man back to the house the night before, and they'd said that he should be sent an old people's home so he could get the 'help' he needed. They'd obviously thought he was insane as he raged about demons and impregnated, time-traveling priestess granddaughters.

"Well, honey, he needs to calm down." Asako sweatdropped, shaking her head at her sleeping, snoring father, wondering if the pressure of the shrine was getting to him in his old age…maybe they should start to try and slowly retire him? But who would take his place? Souta and Kagome would be going to the Feudal Era, and Asako had no priestess powers or inclinations.

Shippou stood next to Asako, chocolate bar in hand, refraining from saying anything, but the look on his cute little face said it all.

Asako smiled and ruffled his hair, feeling so happy and sad at the same time. Asako had always wanted grandchildren, and while the fact that she now had _two_ was _still_ very overwhelming, she couldn't help but fall in love with the two children. They were gorgeous, lovable, tender children who obviously loved Kagome as much as she loved them-they _worshiped_ their _okaa-san_.

"Why don't you ever come to the Feudal Era? Obaa-san?" Rin asked innocently, looking up at her in curiosity as they made their way out of jii-chan's room and started towards the kitchen, where Asako was sure they'd find Inuyasha raiding their fridge.

"I don't think the well will allow me through." Asako rubbed her forehead, disliking the headache that throbbed her temples at the adjustment of her memories. Inuyasha had warned her that now that she knew some things, altered memories would take over, like mentions of the children, or maybe even seeing Kagome when she was 'pregnant' _with_ Shippou.

The young mother sighed, confused, sad, and with a headache. Timelines were confusing, and apparently the future had remained virtually untouched until Kagome had returned, so now that she was here their memories would start to be altered to fit ALL of the changes in the past that she'd made.

Sometimes she really wished Kagome was just an ordinary girl with boy problems, _not_ demon ones.

Hearing hushed voices coming from Souta's room, Asako turned to the children. "Why don't you two go and find Inuyasha and make sure he isn't eating everything?"

The grinned and nodded, running to do as told.

Smiling at them, realizing how much they reminded her of Kagome and Souta when they'd been that age, Asako turned to her son's room and tiptoed to the door, listening in on the voices of her children.

"Souta, really, I need you to think this over seriously." Kagome was saying in a soft voice. "This isn't some great adventure you can brag about, and this isn't one of your video games. People_die_." Her voice choked. "I've had people I loved killed right in front of me, and—and I've had to kill people and demons alike."

"I know that, sis." Souta whispered.

"_No_, you _don't!_" Kagome was crying, that much was obvious in her voice. "When you take a life, be it human or not, it changes you inside. With every life you take, a part of your humanity dies, and you become _cold_. I—I don't want that happening to you."

"Kagome, this isn't my choice anymore." Asako's son sounded tired and older than he really was. "You were meant to go back in time to Feudal Japan and fight the evil there, and I was given these visions to protect you. I—I think I might have been reincarnated as well."

Asako gasped, placing a hand to her mouth to keep herself silent.

"_Reincarnated_?"

"I keep having these _memories_ of you, but you're not you. You are killed by this demon and I'm not able to do anything to help you." Anger and impotence colored each word. "They burnt your body, and my old self promised that when you returned I'd protect you unlike I had been able to do in that lifetime."

"Souta-."

"You're in danger again, Kagome, have been for awhile, but only now am I capable of taking care of you and protecting you." Souta was determined. "I was born to do this, you more than anyone should know that you can't fight your destiny."

There was silence.

Asako closed her eyes, wishing that she could go to the Feudal Era, if only to cook food for her children and be there to listen to their problems when they returned from battle—to cleanse their wounds, to know that they were okay.

With Kagome gone she'd had Souta to try and keep her mind off of the dangers her daughter lived in constantly, but now with both children gone she feared she'd go insane with worry.

"This is your choice, Souta." Kagome finally spoke. "I don't want you involved with this war—you're my baby brother and I'd die if anything ever happened to you—but this is your decision and I will respect it."

"Thanks, sis."

There was a sigh. "The horrible thing is that I know something horrible is about to happen—I just don't know _what_. I don't even know if Naraku is alive or even existed in this timeline. Inuyasha said that when he battled Naraku when he tried to make Kikyou and her husband kill each other—he said that Naraku managed to escape but was fatally wounded-and no one has heard of him since. He could have died-or be lying in wait for the best time to pounce."

"No matter what happens, we'll win."

Kagome laughed, yet it wasn't a happy sound. "Yeah, we have to, don't we? Humanity depends on it."

Asako couldn't take it any more and walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>(PRESENT)<strong>

"They disappeared in a _well_?" Naraku asked Kagura as she related the story to him.

"Yes Master." The Air Demoness tried not to sound so relieved that they were gone and that she didn't have to bring back the smelly human child and thus entice the stupid miko into coming for her. She didn't like that her master was so _intrigued_ by this miko.

"And there was _power_ coming this well." The hanyou frowned as he looked into the darkness of the room. "I want to see this _well_ myself and witness its powers."

Kagura nodded. "I will take you there myself, Master."

"Now leave me, I want to be alone." He turned his back on her.

Kagura sighed, hating it when he dismissed her as if she were nothing. She was his first creation; shouldn't she mean something to him?

Shaking her head, the Wind Demoness left.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru stood in the village, head hurting as he tried to understand what was happening. Inuyasha's dead bitch was actually alive and <em>old-<em>and didn't like him-not that he really cared if she did or not.

Apparently when Kagome had gone back to his past she'd changed the future, and yet he still remembered everything the way it was, the way it _should_ be.

But why was that?

Shouldn't his memories have been altered along with everyone else's? He felt incompetent and out of control of the whole situation and it angered him. He was _Sesshomaru Taiyoukai_, the lord of the Western Lands…youkai, hanyou, and ningen all feared him…he was the mightiest warrior of the land…and yet he could do nothing about this.

The youkai was also conflicted with the situation with Kagome.

On one side he had the memories of Kagome traveling with Inuyasha, being obviously in love with the hanyou. He remembered hating her, wanting her, and finally giving into his desire to be close to her. The youkai had finally made a tentative truce with his bastard brother and traveled with them whenever his lands didn't need him.

He'd wanted to get close to Kagome and yet didn't know how to. He'd tried to kill her, she'd helped Inuyasha try to kill him too-they had horrible history, so he doubted that she'd accept his presence that trustingly…but he'd been wrong. He'd discovered while traveling with them that his mate was trusting, forgiving, and kind.

Everything he was _not._

As a way to spend time alone with her, to scent mark her and warn Kouga in his own way _not_ to continued molesting her, Sesshomaru had told her that he would teach her to fight. She'd been surprised at this order, and yet it'd been replaced by enthusiasm, and while she was in no way in warrior condition, she wasn't too horrible once it was taken into consideration that she was a ningen bitch.

Slowly, but surely, she improved, and he'd been impressed, admired her fortitude despite being so frail, and he'd noticed that as she got control of her fighting abilities, her miko abilities had grown and become controlled as well.

When she'd flashed him that first large, _genuine_ smile after he'd complimented her growing skills, in his own way, Sesshomaru had finally _truly_ accepted that she was his mate-and that he no longer had a problem with it. He'd left the camp that very night and journeyed to have Raidon made for her from his very own fang, his last show of ownership, one she'd unknowingly accepted when she'd taken the sword.

He remembered watching her across the camp fire as she mothered that annoying little kit of hers, smiled and laughed with the Demon Exterminator and Monk, and watched the hanyou bastard of his brother with a dreamy, longing expression on her face.

_What she ever saw in him I will never fully understand._

And on the other side he remembered meeting her in this alternate timeline, sniffing his scent marking on her and knowing that this was _his_ human. He remembered her disappearing down the well and his demanding the portal be taken the Western Lands so that when she reemerged he would be there. He remembered their conversations, the way she'd slowly grown used to him, grown to accept him-_care_ for him.

He remembered her not fearing his youki, coming towards him, trusting him, soothing him in the pool of hot water, _grooming_ him as would any bitch to her alpha. And then he remembered her whimpers, remembered her heat, remembered the satin feel of her around him as he slid into her welcoming warmth…

Sesshomaru closed his eyes as he allowed himself to relieve the foreign memory in awe.

_Don't get yourself killed_.

She'd been worried about him. She hadn't wanted to leave him.

Or at least she hadn't wanted to leave the _other_ him.

And with the conflicting memories, Sesshomaru truly didn't know _which_ Sesshomaru he was!

"Sesshomaru-sama, I am sure that they are fine." Miroku, who was no longer a _monk_ and yet a holy man of sorts, stood next to him, his stance and voice respectful. "Inuyasha-sama would never let anything happen to Rin-chan. I'm sure that he is just keeping her busy so that she does not worry about Kagome-san, Shippou-kun, and Kirara-chan."

Sesshomaru watched the young man next to him in interest. According to the newer memories that kept flooding into his mind, making the headache worse, he and Inuyasha had stumbled upon Miroku when he'd been a mere child, and half dead. Inuyasha had bonded with the human boy and Sesshomaru had let him stay at the Palace as Inuyasha's companion and best friend.

This Miroku had no Wind Tunnel, no curse.

And he was very different from the hentai monk Sesshomaru remembered.

And now that Sesshomaru remembered the hentai-attitude, he remembered _the Demon Exterminator_ who had been like a sister for Kagome. Apparently in this timeline Naraku didn't exist, so her family hadn't been destroyed, her brother possessed, and she'd never joined Inuyasha and his group.

And yet the neko demon that'd been her companion was still with his bastard brother and Kagome's group.

_How…confusing…_

Sesshomaru nodded to the ningen by his side to acknowledge that he'd heard him speaking, before looking at the Bone Eater's Well. He couldn't understand how it was that if Naraku didn't exits-why—-while the timelines were transitioning-he'd seen the hanyou and his 'offspring' changing. Shouldn't they have just _disappeared_?

_Unless Naraku is not truly dead._

And that bothered him, because he knew enough of the insufferable hanyou to know that if he were lying in wait, he had a plan, and when he attacked it'd be an awful thing.

Not that Sesshomaru feared for the Western Lands, but he despised the fact that his _naïve_ bitch would be in the middle of the fight, and if he wasn't there to keep an eye on her Inuyasha would probably just get her killed, and then he'd truly have to kill Inuyasha-and it would be dishonorable to kill one's own kin.

…and the memories he was having of Inuyasha now proved that the hanyou wasn't _so_ insufferable…

Sesshomaru remembered _reluctantly enjoying_ spending time with his brother…

_As if my life isn't odd enough as it is…_

* * *

><p><strong>(FUTURE)<strong>

They'd said their goodbyes to Asako and stood at the mouth of the well inside of the shrine, looking down at the darkness below.

"Is everyone ready?" Kagome asked as she held the hands of Shippou and Rin, who both held onto Souta and Inuyasha, and the two males holding each other's hands and closing the chain. Kirara sat perched on Kagome's shoulder. They'd decided to jump this way and all at the same time just in case something went wrong.

"Yep." Shippou shared an excited grin with Rin, both children finding this utterly exciting.

"As ready as I'll ever be to travel through time to the Feudal Era to fight demons." Souta snarked.

Inuyasha grinned at the young boy and then nodded at Kagome, admiring the way she looked. Kagome wore loose-fitting pants, with sneakers, a skin-tight, long-sleeved shirt, her hair pulled back in a plat. Raidon hung on the belt around her hips, and her bow and quiver of arrows were slung over her shoulders.

The young priestess looked ready for whatever they encountered on the other side.

She smiled at him before taking in a deep breath. "On three, okay?"

"One…" Rin whispered.

"Two…" Souta breathed.

"_Three_." They jumped into the well, and for a moment they were freefalling in the darkness before light exploded from within Kagome and they landed softly on the bottom of the well, the sound of birds and the bright sky above them proving that they'd passed through.

"We made it!" Rin and Shippou squealed, hugging each other-the young kitsune now back to his original self.

Inuyasha heard Souta's heart beating rapidly, obviously nervous and excited.

"Kagome-san?" Miroku could be heard calling, and they looked up to see his head peering at them from the top of the well. "_Inuyasha-sama_?"

Kirara enlarged in a burst of flames, and Souta's eyes widened in shock at the creature that now stood with them, beckoning them on board.

The kids jumped on her back, and after some cajoling on their part Souta hesitantly climbed on as well, grabbing onto the neko's fur and letting out a terrified yelp when she shot into the air.

Inuyasha shared a laugh with Kagome before he grabbed her around her waist and shot out of the well, landing next to Miroku, Kirara…and _Sesshomaru_.

The hanyou quickly let go of Kagome and stepped back, not knowing how his brother would react to seeing them like that.

Sesshomaru seemed _odd_, still, _frozen_, as his eyes searched Kagome. If Inuyasha hadn't known Sesshomaru his whole life, he would have thought that his elder brother was _nervous_.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome and frowned.

Kagome was just as still, just as _frozen_, eyes searching Sesshomaru before those beautiful blue eyes watered and she smiled, closing the distance between them and throwing her arms around the inuyoukai, obviously shocking Sesshomaru as she buried her face in his chest.

"_You really **are **okay_…" Her muffled voice could be heard whimpering as she held onto him as if to life. "_I was so worried_!"

Inuyasha swallowed over a large, cold lump in his throat.

Sesshomaru's eyes were wide with shock, and then, slowly, hesitantly, he brought his hands around her and hugged her back, burying his face in her hair.

Inuyasha looked away.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


End file.
